The 2026 World Cup™ Is Just One Month Away—Here's Your Cheat Sheet to the Tournament

It's official: The 2026 World Cup™ is exactly one month away. Football's biggest event kicks off on Thursday, June 11, from Mexico City, with the Final taking place at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19. Between those two dates, a total of 104 matches will be played across 16 host cities throughout Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America.

As has been the case in previous editions of FIFA's tournament, it's possible more than one national football team causes an upset this summer. Lionel Messi and Argentina, however, are amongst the tournament's favorites, meaning they could win back-to-back World Cup™ trophies. Kylian Mbappé and France; Harry Kane and England; Lamine Yamal and Spain; and Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are sure to make the battle for the trophy difficult.

2026 World Cup™ Schedule Breakdown

• Opening Match: June 11, 2026
• Group Stage: June 11-June 27 (12 groups of four teams)
• Round of 32: June 28–July 3
• Round of 16: July 4–July 7
• Quarter-Finals: July 9-July 11
• Semi-Finals: July 14–July 15
• Third-Place Match: July 18
• Final: July 19

How to Watch 2026 World Cup™

If you are one of the lucky football fans to hold a ticket(s) to any World Cup™ match, you will be part of history. If you don't and want to know how you can watch any of the tournament's 104 matches online or on television, keep in mind that viewing options differ between countries and regions.

Where to Watch in U.S.:

• FOX and FS1 will televise all 104 matches in English
• For Spanish, Telemundo and Peacock will provide exclusive coverage, which includes a new Spanish-language World Cup™ Hub
• You can watch the action on Live TV streaming platforms like YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo, and Sling TV
• FIFA+ and YouTube will offer select full matches for free

Where to Watch in Mexico & Canada:

• Mexico/Latin America: TelevisaUnivision and Fox Sports México
• Canada: Bell Media (CTV/TSN)

Where to Buy 2026 World Cup™ Jerseys

Since November 2025, some of the world's biggest sportswear brands have been releasing new product for the 2026 World Cup™. Leading brands include adidas, Nike, and PUMA, which sponsor popular national football teams like Germany, Brazil, and Morocco, respectively.

You can shop Home and Away kits at the following U.S. retailers:

• DICK'S Sporting Goods
• JD Sports
• Champs Sports
• Foot Locker
• Fanatics (Nike)

adidas is honoring Mexico as being the first-and-only country to host three World Cup™ tournaments by launching a special-edition Third kit for the Mexico national football team.

Pre-Match Anthem Jackets for popular teams have also launched, as have football-inspired lifestyle collections that celebrate fandom outside of matchday.

The 2026 World Cup™ is expected to be one for the books. The tournament will likely be the final World Cup™ for veterans of the game like Messi and "CR7." Young talent like Myles Lewis-Skelly, Gilberto Mora, and Nico Paz could also leave their marks for country, demonstrating to the world that the game's future is in food hands (feet?).

Over the next 31 days, expect football federations, sportswear brands, broadcasting juggernauts, streamers, influencers, fans, skeptics, and everyone in between to join in on the global phenomenon that is the World Cup™ every four years.

House of Heat° will be no different.