(NEW YORK) -- The top national soccer teams from countries around the world have traveled to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off Thursday, and are preparing for a packed schedule of matches in cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
As Argentina looks to defend their championship title and fans prepare to watch all the on-pitch action for the expanded 48-team tournament, here's a rundown of what you need to know about the draw format, host cities, schedules and more.
How many teams are competing in World Cup?
There are 12 groups of four teams representing 48 nations -- 16 more than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
When do World Cup matches start?
The group stage begins Thursday, June 11, when Mexico hosts South Africa for the World Cup opener at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
There will be an opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m. local time, and the match kicks off at 3 p.m.
There are 104 games to be played throughout the tournament, spanning 39 days.
The U.S. Men's National Team plays its first 2026 World Cup game against Paraguay on Friday, June 12, with a 6 p.m. scheduled kickoff time at SoFi Stadium in California.
What are the U.S. host cities for FIFA World Cup?
Atlanta; Boston; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Miami; "New York New Jersey" (East Rutherford, New Jersey); Philadelphia; Seattle; and the San Francisco Bay Area will all play host to the 2026 World Cup.
World Cup draw explained: Format, groups and schedule
At the World Cup draw in December, teams were separated into 12 groups, labeled A-L.
The U.S. was placed into Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay, and Turkey, which earned the final spot in the group after a win over Kosovo in the UEFA playoffs in March.
In the group stage of the tournament, all teams are guaranteed three matches -- one against every team in its group -- with the top two teams from each guaranteed to advance. The eight best third-place teams will also advance. Other teams are eliminated.
With the expanded tournament this year, 32 surviving teams will make it out of the group stage and into single-elimination series of winner-take-all matches, known as the knockout round, all the way to the final.
In this stage, matches that result in a tie after full time will have 30 minutes of added time split in two 15-minute halves and a penalty shootout decider.
The round of 16 will take place July 4-7.
The first quarterfinal match is at Boston Stadium on July 9 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, followed by a match at SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California, on July 10. July 11 will see quarterfinal matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Semifinals matches will be played July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
When is the World Cup final?
The World Cup final will take place July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium, referred to in this tournament as New York New Jersey Stadium.
Who are the defending World Cup champions and favorites to watch this year?
Argentina, led by star forward Lionel Messi, is currently ranked No. 1, according to FIFA.
Spain, France, England and Portugal follow in sequence to round out the Top 5 spots ahead of the World Cup kickoff.
According to the latest expert power rankings released by ESPN on Tuesday, which were assembled by a 20-person voting panel, Spain -- with its 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal -- is the top team to watch this year.
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