When will the 2026 World Cup be held
2026 World Cup game time
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will open on June 11, 2026 and close on July 19th.
The opening match will be held at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The stadium is well known in World Cup history, having hosted the 1970 World Cup final and the 1986 World Cup final. The final will be held on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, New York.
It was the first time in the history of the World Cup that it was co-hosted by three countries (the United States, Canada, and Mexico), and the first time that 48 teams competed in the World Cup .
The groupings for the 2026 World Cup are yet to be finalized as the draw for the groupings will be based on factors such as the teams' results in the qualifiers, which are still ongoing. However, according to the finalized format, the 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two teams from each group and the third of the eight best-performing groups advancing to the round of 32.
In the case of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, the groupings for the 18-team tournament are as follows:
Group A: Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, UAE, Kyrgyzstan, DPR Korea;
Group B: Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Kuwait;
Group C: Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China, Indonesia.
The rules for qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Asia are as follows :
Stage 1 Qualifying: 22 teams ranked 26 to 47 in Asia will play each other in a two-legged home-and-away series, with the winning 11 teams advancing to the second stage.
Second stage of the 36-team tournament: the top 25 teams in Asia and the 11 teams that won the first stage, a total of 36 teams divided into 9 groups of 4 teams each. A double round-robin system of home and away matches will be played. The top two teams from each group will advance to the next stage, the Round of 18, and these 18 teams will also advance directly to the main round of the 2027 Asian Cup.
Stage 3 - Round of 18: The 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six teams each, continuing the double round-robin system of home and away matches. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup.
Stage 4 Asian Play-Offs: The third and fourth-placed teams from the three groups in the 18-team tournament will be divided into two groups of three teams each and will play a single round-robin match. The top team from each group will advance directly to the 2026 World Cup, while the second place teams from both groups will play a playoff, with the winner qualifying for the Intercontinental Playoffs.
Stage 5 Intercontinental Playoffs: The winners of the Asian playoffs face off against teams from other continents for the final spot in the World Cup.
And the rules for qualifying for the rest of the 2026 World Cup are roughly as follows:
South America: There are 10 teams, each of which plays the remaining nine teams home and away.18 After the rounds of matches, the top six teams in terms of points earn the right to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the seventh place team participating in the Intercontinental Play-Offs.
North Central America and the Caribbean: Because the United States, Canada and Mexico advance directly as hosts, the remaining teams in the division compete for three direct advancement spots and two play-in spots.
Africa: The specific format is set by CAF, which selects a number of teams for the World Cup through a series of qualifying matches.
EUROPEAN ZONE: There are 16 seats in the European zone, starting in March 2025 with the qualifying rounds. Under the rules, teams compete in a series of matches to qualify.
Oceania: 1 qualifying place and 1 play-off place.
that's all...
When will the 2026 World Cup be held 2026 World Cup match time
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