By: Isaac Kwabena Boadu Date: 8th June, 2026
The wait is over – football’s biggest party starts Thursday, June 11th, 2026 at Mexico City’s historic Estadio Azteca. Co-hosts Mexico face South Africa at 3pm local time / 8pm UK time, making Mexico the first nation ever to host World Cup matches in 3 different tournaments after 1970 and 1986. Canada and USA join a day later on June 12th: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina in Toronto, and USMNT vs Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in LA.
This is the first 48-team World Cup ever, with 104 matches across 16 cities in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. New format: 12 groups of 4, top 2 + 8 best third-placed teams advance to a new Round of 32. Key dates: Group Stage June 11th-27th, Round of 32 June 28th-July 3rd, Round of 16 July 4th-7th, Quarter-finals July 9th-11th, Semis July 14th-15th, and the Final July 19th, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Defending champs Argentina start vs Algeria on June 17th, and debutants Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan get their first taste.
FIFA’s opening show kicks off 90 minutes before the Mexico vs South Africa game on June 11th, with Mana, J Balvin, Belinda, and South Africa’s Tyla performing. 39 days of non-stop football across North America starts Thursday.
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for more updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDc9jg59PwJmHy1Du2t
