FIFA

This year's World Cup begins on June 11 with a match between co-host Mexico and South Africa, to be held in Mexico City.  There will be 48 teams playing in 104 matches over a little over a month. The championship final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium (aka MetLife Stadium), home to the NFL's Jets and Giants, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  The group stage runs until June 27, after which the knockout stage begins. The Round of 32 will run from June 28-July 3, the Round of 16 is July 4-7, the quarterfinals are July 9-11 and the semifinals are July 14

This year's World Cup is the biggest ever in terms of the number of clubs participating in the tournament. In a FIFA first, 48 teams have qualified, and, in another first, there are three host nations: Mexico, the US and Canada. Argentina returns to the pitch as the most recent World Cup champions, having defeated France in 2022.  Canada (host country)Mexico (host country)USA (host country)AlgeriaArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBelgium Bosnia and HerzegovinaBrazil Cabo Verde Colombia Congo DR Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Curaçao Czechia Ecuador Egypt England France Germany Ghana HaitiIran Iraq Japan Jordan

While we don't yet know which teams will play in this year's World Cup final match, we do know there will be world-class entertainment at halftime.  With a roster that rivals some of the best Super Bowl halftime shows, the 2026 World Cup final show will be headlined by Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Having just one of these global artists would have been impressive, but all three will share the stage on Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium. If those names weren't enough, the performance will be curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay and, yes, I've buried the lede: the Muppets will also appear. 

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