New Delhi, 09 March (H.S.):
The 23rd FIFA World Cup explodes into action on June 11, 2026, co-hosted by USA, Canada, and Mexico with a record 48 teams battling across 104 matches over 39 days—culminating in the July 19 final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca hosts the opener: Mexico vs South Africa. Group stage runs June 11-27; knockouts kick off with Round of 32 (June 29-July 3), Round of 16 (July 4-7), quarters (July 9-11), semis (July 14-15), third-place (July 18, Miami), and final.
Group Stage Openers
June 11: Mexico vs South Africa (Azteca); South Korea vs UEFA Path-D (Guadalajara).
June 12: Canada vs UEFA Path-A (Toronto); USA vs Paraguay (LA).
June 13: Qatar vs Switzerland (SF Bay); Brazil vs Morocco (NJ); Haiti vs Scotland (Boston); Australia vs UEFA Path-C (Vancouver).
June 14-19: Fixtures span Germany vs Curaçao (Houston), Spain vs Cape Verde (Atlanta), France vs Senegal (NJ), Argentina vs Algeria (Kansas City), Portugal vs IC Path-1 (Houston), England vs Croatia (Dallas), and more across 16 cities including LA, Toronto, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Vancouver.
Matches unfold in 16 venues; fans await the largest World Cup ever.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
