FPL Guides
How to Win Your FPL Mini-League: 7 Proven Strategies (2025/26)
15 Mar 202619 min read48
Teams
12
Groups
104
Matches
16
Stadiums
3
Host Nations
39
Days
Tournament schedule
From the opening match in Mexico City to the final at MetLife Stadium — every key date.
Phase 1
Group Stage
June 11 – June 27 2026
Phase 2
Round of 32
June 28 – July 3 2026
Phase 3
Round of 16
July 4 – July 7 2026
Phase 4
Quarter-finals
July 9 – July 11 2026
Phase 5
Semi-finals
July 14 – July 15 2026
Phase 6
Third-place play-off
July 18 2026
Phase 7
Final
July 19 2026
Host nations & stadiums
The first World Cup hosted across three countries — and the first 48-team edition.
| Stadium | City | Country | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | USA | 82,500 |
| SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA | USA | 70,000 |
| AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX | USA | 80,000 |
| Levi's Stadium | Santa Clara, CA | USA | 68,500 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA | USA | 71,000 |
| Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA | USA | 65,800 |
| NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | USA | 72,200 |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, FL | USA | 65,300 |
| Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA | USA | 69,800 |
| Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | USA | 69,000 |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO | USA | 76,400 |
| BMO Field | Toronto, ON | Canada | 45,500 |
| BC Place | Vancouver, BC | Canada | 54,500 |
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | Mexico | 87,500 |
| Estadio Akron | Guadalajara | Mexico | 49,800 |
| Estadio BBVA | Monterrey | Mexico | 53,500 |
Key matches to mark
Opening Match
June 11, 2026
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Mexico open the tournament at their iconic 87,500-seat home — the only stadium to host three World Cups.
Semi-finals
July 14 & 15, 2026
AT&T Stadium & Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The final four — Dallas hosts one semi, Atlanta the other.
🏆 The Final
July 19, 2026
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
An 82,500-capacity finale — the biggest crowd for a World Cup final since 1994.
Hosts' openers
The three host nations each kick off their tournament in the first 48 hours. Mexico opens the entire World Cup at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Group A · Jun 11
🇲🇽Mexico vs 🇿🇦South Africa
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
19:00 UTC kickoff
Group B · Jun 12
🇨🇦Canada vs 🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina
BMO Field, Toronto
19:00 UTC kickoff
Group D · Jun 13
🇺🇸United States vs 🇵🇾Paraguay
SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
01:00 UTC kickoff
All 48 qualified nations
The biggest World Cup ever — 16 more nations than 2022. New entries include Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, all making their tournament debuts.
Host nation
World Cup debutant
Full A–L group breakdown to be published once available from FIFA's official draw data.
Premier League stars to watch
The biggest names in the Premier League heading into the summer — and how each fits their national team's tournament plans.
Erling Haaland
🇳🇴 Norway
Manchester City
Norway's main man at their first World Cup since 1998. The competition's most-anticipated debutant.
Mohamed Salah
🇪🇬 Egypt
Liverpool
Egypt return after a 28-year wait between 1990 and 2018 — Salah leads the line again.
Bukayo Saka
🏴 England
Arsenal
Pivotal in the England right-side rotation under the new manager.
Cole Palmer
🏴 England
Chelsea
Most in-form English playmaker entering the tournament.
Kylian Mbappé
🇫🇷 France
Real Madrid
Will captain France in their title defence — fresh off the 2022 final loss to Argentina.
Jude Bellingham
🏴 England
Real Madrid
Box-to-box engine the Three Lions will build around.
Virgil van Dijk
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Liverpool
Likely his last World Cup as the Dutch captain.
Bruno Fernandes
🇵🇹 Portugal
Manchester United
Portugal's creative hub and captain.
Florian Wirtz
🇩🇪 Germany
Liverpool
Germany's no.10 — central to their rebuild after Euro 2024 disappointment.
Alexander Isak
🇸🇪 Sweden
Liverpool
Sweden return to a World Cup for the first time since 2018.
World Cup analysis from our editors
15 Mar 202619 min read