There are two years and four months left, but little by little the 2026 World Cup is taking shape. FIFA has already officially reported that the competition will have its opening at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City and the grand final will be at the MetLife Stadium, on the outskirts of New York.
Of the total of 104 matches, 78 will be played between the 11 venues in the United States. Mexico will host 13 matches between Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey and Canada another 13 between Toronto and Vancouver.
The choice of the Azteca for the June 11 opening was no surprise. The stadium has a legendary history in the World Cup: it was there where Diego Maradona scored the famous “Hand of God” and the so-called “Goal of the Century” against England in 1986, considered the best of the World Cup. Also in that stadium Pelé lifted the trophy in 1970 after beating Italy in a well-remembered final.
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On the contrary, the designation of MetLife Stadium, with capacity for 82,500 spectators and home of the New York Jets and Giants of the NFL, did surprise. All the previous forecasts and journalistic information indicated that the decisive game was going to be played at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Finally, that venue, which has a retractable roof, will host nine matches, more than any other venue, including one of the semifinals. Another revelation from FIFA is that the first match in Canada will be on June 12 in Toronto and the first in the United States will be that same day in Los Angeles.
Mexico’s matches in the 2026 World Cup
Mexico will play its three group stage games at home, as will Canada and the United States. In addition to opening the contest on June 11 at the Azteca, the second game of the ‘Tri’ will be in Guadalajara on June 18 and the last one again at the Azteca on the 24th.
Miami, which is experiencing a football revolution since the arrival of Lionel Messi in the city, will receive, among others, the duel to define third place. The 2026 World Cup “will not only set new records, but will also leave an indelible legacy,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
