It's finally here: the 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11. Here's the complete schedule — all 12 groups with their 48 teams and the dates for each stage — so you can get your bearings and, of course, nail those prediction pool picks.
How it works (quick version)
There are 48 teams split into 12 groups of 4. From each group, the top 2 advance, plus the 8 best third-place finishers — totaling 32 teams in a brand-new knockout bracket. (Get the full picture in the guide about the new 2026 World Cup format.)
The 12 groups
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia |
| B | Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| D | United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey |
| E | Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador |
| F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| G | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand |
| H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| K | Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
Dates for each stage
| Stage | When |
|---|---|
| Group stage | June 11–27 |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3 |
| Round of 16 | July 4–7 |
| Quarterfinals | July 9–11 |
| Semifinals | July 14–15 |
| Third-place match | July 18 |
| Final | July 19 |
Where it's happening
This is the first World Cup with three host countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico, across 16 cities. The opening match is on June 11 at Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), and the final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA). That's 104 matches in 39 days — the biggest World Cup ever.
Follow (and predict) all 104 matches
Schedule in hand, time to turn it into a World Cup pool. In Bolão de Futebol 2026 you predict all 104 matches — from the opener to the final — editing your picks right up to each kickoff, and compete in 4 different competitions with your friends. See how to create your pool in 2 minutes.
The standings and knockout bracket update as matches are played — follow everything live in the app. Groups and dates verified against official sources in Jun/2026.