The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off a year today when joint-hosts Mexico get the tournament underway in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on June 11, 2026.
It will be the biggest-ever World Cup, with the format expanding from 32 nations at Qatar 2022 to 48 teams in USA, Mexico and Canada. The result is 104 games across 16 cities in three nations before the new world champion is crowned at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19.
There will be some familiar faces, some World Cup rookies, plenty of players and coaches under pressure to deliver and also big questions still to be answered about what happens off the pitch. So, with the World Cup countdown now just 365 days away, here’s everything you need to know about what lies ahead in North America in 2026.
Messi vs. Ronaldo for the final time?
When Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, it seemed to be the final act in the decade-long battle between himself and Cristiano Ronaldo. By winning the World Cup, Messi had done something Portugal captain Ronaldo had never done, and with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star turning 41 next February, there was no chance he could return for one last shot at the big one.
But guess what? Ronaldo is still going strong, leading Portugal to UEFA Nations League success with wins against Germany and Spain this month — he scored in both games too — while Messi, who will be 38 on June 24, is still the star attraction in MLS with Inter Miami and he continues to captain Argentina.
Four years ago, Qatar really seemed to be Messi and Ronaldo’s final appearance in the World Cup, but it’s now almost certain that they will both save their last dance for the 2026 edition.
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How far can Poch’s U.S. go?
Mauricio Pochettino was hired by the USSF last year to bring elite level coaching and management skills to an under-performing U.S. men’s national team, but it has been a bumpy ride so far for the former Tottenham, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach.
Following Tuesday’s dismal 4-0 friendly loss to Switzerland, Pochettino has won five and lost five of his 10 games in charge and has displayed little evidence of building a team capable of reaching the latter stages of the World Cup next year. Several Europe-based stars — including Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson and Yunus Musah — are absent from this summer’s friendlies and Gold Cup campaign for various reasons, causing some controversy among fans and former players, but Pochettino has cited the need for those players to rest in order to be more prepared for the World Cup.
Much depends on the group stage draw for the World Cup, but right now, Pochettino’s team would struggle to even reach the knockout stages.
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Ecuador have run Argentina close for top spot in the South America qualifiers and are still in second spot, despite a three-point deduction. With Moisés Caicedo, Willian Pacho and Pervis Estupiñán in their team, Ecuador will be strong next summer.
Mexico have reached the quarterfinals twice — both occasions when they hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986 — so El Tri can exploit home advantage again. However, they might struggle without competitive fixtures between now and next summer by virtue of qualifying automatically as co-hosts.
Morocco and Egypt will lead Africa’s hopes of success, while in Europe, Turkey and Georgia — both fighting for a playoff spot behind Spain in Group E — showed at Euro 2024 that they have the talent to cause an upset if they qualify for the World Cup.
Will it be the same old story for England?
England are world football’s great under-achievers — the home of the Premier League and former greats such as Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Paul Gascoigne and Steven Gerrard — and next year will mark 60 years since their one and only World Cup success. But after two successive defeats in the finals of Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, the English FA have gone big by hiring former Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel to turn the Three Lions into winners.
But don’t bank on England winning next summer. A woeful 1-0 win over Andorra at the weekend , followed by a surprise 3-1 home loss to Senegal on Tuesday, exposed England’s array of under-performing stars, and you can write the script for next summer right now.
After a draining Premier League season, Tuchel’s players will wilt in the heat in North America because, like forever, they can’t keep the ball and use it as well as the top teams.
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Will the U.S. travel ban cause logistical problems?
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a travel ban on the citizens of 12 countries, preventing them from entering the United States. One of those nations is Iran, whose football team has qualified for next year’s World Cup. Haiti, a potential qualifier from Concacaf, is also listed.
Beyond the 12 countries banned from all travel, seven nations have been hit with partial restrictions — including Venezuela, who are likely to reach the Inter-Continental playoffs.
There are exemptions, however, and the U.S. has stated that any athlete or member of an athletic team — including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives — will be allowed to travel to the World Cup and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. As it stands, all necessary national team personnel will be cleared to travel to the U.S., but it looks unlikely that supporters from nations on the banned list will be allowed to enter the country and show their support.
It will be hot and hectic
In the early stages of next year’s World Cup, there will be as many as four games a day, with some fixtures scheduled to kick-off as early as noon and that could lead to issues relating to players, officials and supporters being impacted by extreme heat. During last year’s Copa America, assistant referee Humberto Panjoj fainted during the first-half of Peru‘s group game against Canada in Kansas City with temperatures reaching 93 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the U.S. last hosted the World Cup in 1994, Republic of Ireland defender Steve Staunton was forced to wear a hat during the national anthems to shelter from the sun before a midday kick-off against Mexico in Orlando when the temperature was recorded at 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
FIFA has said that all teams will be given a minimum of three days between games, but kick-off times are to be finalised following the World Cup draw later this year.
