Historic Estadio Azteca to Open Record-Breaking 104-Match World Cup 2026.
A record 48 teams and millions of fans are set to descend on the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first ever World Cup co-hosted by three nations, the largest and most logistically complex edition of the tournament ever staged. The action gets under way at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca on June 11, with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at 3:00 pm local time (1900 GMT), launching a sprawling, nearly six-week-long spectacle that will culminate in the final at New Jersey’s 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium on July 19. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)
MEXICO CITY: Hosts Mexico will kick off the largest edition of the FIFA World Cup on June 11, 2026, with the opening match of a record 104-game tournament that will be played across 16 venues in three countries.
Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca has been confirmed as the venue for the tournament opener, making history as the first stadium ever to host three FIFA World Cup opening matches. The stadium previously staged the opening games of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups.
The full schedule for the largest FIFA World Cup in history has been unveiled, setting the stage for a 104-match tournament featuring 48 teams across 16 host cities in three countries — Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Hosts Mexico will have the honour of opening the tournament in their capital, with the first match taking place at the historic Estadio Azteca, a venue that previously hosted World Cup finals and opening matches in 1970 and 1986.
Mexico will play all three of their group-stage matches on home soil. After the opener in Mexico City, they will face their second group opponent at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara on June 18 before returning to Estadio Azteca for their final group-stage fixture on June 24.
The venue will host the Group K clash between Uzbekistan and Colombia, before staging one match each in the Round of 32 and Round of 16.
A true cathedral of world football, Estadio Azteca will once again take centre stage as the first stadium in history to host matches at three separate FIFA World Cups. The iconic venue, which witnessed legendary performances from Pelé and Diego Maradona during the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, is set to add another chapter to its storied legacy when it welcomes fans for the 2026 edition.
