The dust is barely settled from the last FIFA World Cup, and already, the next tournament is just around the corner. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just over two years away, logistics and venues are beginning to be locked in.
If you’re planning to gather and watch some of the games as a team, you can start to make those plans now. Even better, if you’re planning to travel and watch some of the matches in person, we break down some of the important information you need to know ahead of booking your trips.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium Will Host 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
Getting right to the big announcement, the biggest match in football’s calendar will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be held on 19 July 2026, at the 82,500 capacity stadium. When football isn’t being played in the United States, the venue is typically home to both the New York Jets and New York Giants in the NFL. The stadium is a little over 14 years old, first opened in 2010 as a replacement for the Giants Stadium.
This will not be the first significant sporting event that the arena has held, however. In 2014, the MetLife Stadium hosted the Super Bowl, America’s biggest NFL match and one of the largest sporting events in the calendar. It also held the final of the Copa America Centenario two years later in 2016.
While the 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be one of the biggest matches held on American soil, chances are the home side won’t be featuring in the game. Betting sites currently have the United States as the 10th equal favorite to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup heading into the tournament, returning odds of +3300.
Canada and Mexico to Host 13 Games Each
For those who can’t travel to New Jersey, or more likely, won’t be able to fork out the eye watering price tag for a ticket, there are plenty of other matches to catch.
This FIFA World Cup will be the largest ever in history. The decision to expand the event to 48 teams means that a total of 104 matches will be played. Because of this huge volume of games to get through, primary host nation USA has allocated 13 games each to neighboring Canada and Mexico.
In big news for Mexico, the country will host the tournament’s opening game. The nation’s exact opponent is yet to be determined, but the game will be played on June 11, 2026 with Mexico featuring at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The next day will see hosts United States and Canada also involved in matches, with the United States playing at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 12. Canada will also play that day, at the BMO Field in Toronto.
The majority of Canada’s opening round matches will be split evenly between Toronto and Vancouver at the BMO Field and BC Place stadiums, while Mexico will see matches in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. For America, a total of 11 cities will be used to host the majority of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
Brazil, France and England Early Favorites Two Years Out
While 45 countries are still yet to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, chances are Brazil, France and England will be around at the business end of the tournament in the United States.
Brazil leads the betting odds more than two years out from the tournament’s kick off, returning +550 for an outright victory in New Jersey. The five-time World Cup winners are narrowly ahead of France and England, who are level on +650 to win the sport’s biggest prize.
These betting odds are largely detached from the current FIFA rankings. Argentina are number one in the global standings currently, followed by France and England. Brazil sit down at number five in the world. However, the fact that they have won more World Cups than any other team in history stands in their favor.
Argentina will be eager to defy the odds and prove that they’re a better chance than the +800 odds they’ve been set two years out. The defending champions will take some confidence from the fact that last time they met Brazil, it was a 1-0 victory. Can they do the same again at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a little over a year’s time? Time will tell.
