The 2026 World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico with the final scheduled for July 19 in New Jersey. This marks the first tournament hosted across three nations - USA, Mexico and Canada - with 16 venues ranging from AT&T Stadium's 94,000 capacity to Toronto's 45,000-seat BMO Field.

Expanded to 48 teams for the first time, the competition features 12 groups of four with the top two plus eight best third-placed teams advancing to a new last-32 knockout round. Notable debutants include Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, while traditional powers Italy, Serbia, Greece and Hungary miss out from Europe.

France and Spain enter as joint favorites at 9/2 odds, with England at 13/2 and Brazil at 8/1. Host nation USA sits at 66/1 to win, followed by Mexico at 80/1 and Canada at 150/1. Group I featuring France, Senegal, Norway and Iraq appears most competitive on paper.

All matches will be played on grass surfaces despite eight stadiums installing temporary pitches, following criticism of similar installations at the 2025 Club World Cup. The tournament promises historic moments as Mexico's Aztec Stadium becomes the first venue to host three different men's World Cups.