EN
UA EN

Title

Login to media account

Forgot password?
No account?

ACCESS RESTORATION

Enter the email address associated with your account. We will send you a password reset link.

Password reset email sent

Check your email. The link is valid for 60 minutes.

Create account Media

Need access to press materials, accreditations and official comments.

Password must contain:
At least 8 characters.
Uppercase and lowercase letters.
Numbers and special symbols (! № @ $ % %).

Already have an account?

Verify your media activity

Fill out a short form to get access to the press center and media resources.

Already have an account?

EMAIL VERIFICATION LINK SENT

Check your email. The link is valid for 60 minutes.

Thank you!

Your application for journalist account approval has been submitted. We will notify you by email when your access is confirmed.

Go to site

FIFA 2026 World Cup: FIFA has approved the final tournament calendar

The qualification round for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has begun in the fall.

FIFA 2026 World Cup: FIFA has approved the final tournament calendar

Photo from fifa.com

The qualification cycle for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, began in autumn. The UEFA World Cup qualifying round will start on March 17, 2025.

As a reminder, the 2026 World Cup — the first in history where 48 national teams will participate in the final stage. 

World Cup 2026. Final Tournament

In the final tournament, there will be twelve groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group and eight best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.

Matches of the 23rd World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the USA in 2026, will be held in sixteen cities. These are: Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey in Mexico, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle in the USA.

The opening match of the World Cup will take place on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, while the final match will be held in New York on July 19.

World Cup 2026 Final Tournament Calendar

World Cup 2026. Qualification Cycle

UEFA (Europe): 16 spots.

The qualification process in the European zone will take place from March 2025 to March 2026 and consist of two rounds.

Round 1: Twelve groups, each with five or four teams, will play from March to November 2025 using the traditional group system. The twelve group winners will receive direct spots in the final stage.

The twelve teams that finish second and the top four group winners of the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 who finish below second place in the European qualification group stage, will participate in knockout mini-tournaments.

Round 2: Knockout mini-tournaments in March 2026 will consist of one-legged semi-finals and finals. Sixteen participants will be divided into four playoff paths. The four winners will receive spots for the World Cup-2026. 

AFC (Asia): 8 spots + 1 spot in intercontinental playoffs.

CAF (Africa): 9 spots + 1 spot in intercontinental playoffs.

CONCACAF (North and Central America): 3 tournament organizers + 3 spots + 2 places in intercontinental playoffs.

CONMEBOL (South America): 6 spots + 1 spot in intercontinental playoffs.

OFC (Oceania): 1 spot + 1 place in intercontinental playoffs.

Intercontinental Playoffs: 2 spots.

Tags

2026 World Cup

Read also

Subscribe to news

Get the latest news and updates from our team first.