Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has announced the participation of the countries and matches that soccer fans have been waiting for. With over 104 matches in under 40 days, expect players and fans across the world to unite on and off the pitch.
Last Friday’s draw from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., determined the 12 groups for next summer’s 48-nation tournament. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with each participating country now knowing the nations they’ll face ahead of the tournament. Mexico, Canada and the U.S. will host the tournament.
With the draw set, these head-to-head games will attract the viewership of millions of fans rooting for their national teams. Below is a breakdown of what to expect.
In group A, host nation Mexico, also known as “El Tri,” will face South Africa, a rematch of the opening game from the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa, which ended in a 1-1 draw. This will be the first time in World Cup history where two nations face each other for the second time in an opening match.
Mexico will also have a strong advisory against South Korea, as they face-off for the third time in a group stage scenario. The first time these two nations met was France ‘98, with Mexico defeating South Korea in a 3-1 victory, as well as most recently in a 2-1 victory in Russia 2018.
El Tri holds the edge in the head-to-head series with these two prior victories. The South Koreans are led in attack by LAFC forward Heung-Min Son, and the game will be played in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 18, 2026.
In group C, five-time World Cup winner Brazil, led by head coach Carlo Ancelotti, will bring the “jogo bonito,” or beautiful game, to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 13, 2026, facing Morocco. The African nation is coming off a historic fourth-place finish in the 2022 edition of the World Cup in Qatar.
The World Cup will return to American soil for the first time in 32 years, with the Group D opener set for June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium. The U.S. men’s national team will face Paraguay, aiming to start strong behind a new generation of talent led by forward Christian Pulisic who ranks as the fifth all-time leading scorer, with 32 goals and 19 assists in 82 appearances for the U.S.
Group E will feature four-time winner Germany as they take on Ivory Coast, one of Africa’s top nations, and showcase that they are up to the challenge in Toronto, Canada, on Friday, June 19, 2026.
In Group G, players Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku with Belgium’s “Red Devils” take on Mohamed Salah, playing for Egypt, in the group opener on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. The game will be decisive for both nations to top the group.
Spain’s “La Roja” enters as one of the tournament favorites. Rising star Lamine Yamal, a talented right-winger, is expected to play a key role as the 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy tries to lead Spain to its second World Cup. Spain will face Uruguay in a Group H showdown on June 26, 2026, at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
In Group I, 2022 runner-up France will have another chance to reach a World Cup final. Led by Kylian Mbappé, France will face Norway on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Boston. Norway’s behind striker Erling Haaland and playmaker Martin Odegaard will look to challenge one of the tournament’s top contenders, France.
Group K features Portugal, led by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is set to appear in his sixth World Cup. The Portuguese will close out group play against Colombia, a team with a potent attack and ambitions to make a deep tournament run. The game is set for Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Miami.
According to USA Today, England’s group L is considered to be the “unofficial Group of Death,” a group consisting of more than a single top contending team that has potential to place first within a group, measured by talent-based matchups. “The Three Lions,” England’s national team, are favored to win the group but will have a tough challenge ahead as they open up against Croatia in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
All games will be broadcast on Fox and Telemundo as the action unfolds, beginning on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
