The countdown is on! Today marks 500 days until the groundbreaking FIFA World Cup 26™ gets under way at the Estadio Azteca Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
More than five million fans are expected to attend the tournament’s 104 matches in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with six billion more engaging with the newly expanded 48-team competition worldwide.
With the clock ticking down to the 39-day global spectacle, the build-up will be taken up a notch in 2025 as FIFA continues to work closely with the tournament co-hosts and 16 Host Cities, official partners and sponsors, media partners and other key stakeholders, while celebrating a series of significant milestones along the way.
With direct entry for Oceania (OFC) for the first time in history, semi-finalist Tahiti, New Caledonia, Fiji or New Zealand will be one of the first teams to qualify from the final in Auckland on March 24.
Qualifying will also take shape across Africa (CAF), Asia (AFC), Europe (UEFA), North, Central America and Caribbean (Concacaf), and South America (CONMEBOL), with other nations to join Canada, Mexico and the USA in the 48-team field to be revealed in just a matter of months.
Off the pitch, the unveiling of the popular Host City posters, the launching of ticket and hospitality sales, the final draw for the tournament and several other events and announcements will captivate football fans the world over.
Although most of the preparations being carried out by FIFA and the 16 Host Cities will only truly be felt when supporters flock to North America in June and July 2026, one prominent example of the ongoing collaboration is the Host City filming project.
From April to August 2024, FIFA engaged world-leading aerial film experts to capture the iconic locations and aspects of everyday life in each Host City. FIFA filmed over 60 days of content and has since finalised a series of unique images to highlight the 16 diverse cities to global audiences. The content has been shared with FIFA’s official media partners and will feature in tournament-related broadcasts and promotions before and during the event.
For the billions of fans who will enjoy the competition from 11 June to 19 July 2026, that means not only witnessing the best football on the planet but also getting to know the people, cultures, landmarks, natural wonders and structural marvels of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
