WC 2026 is the first tournament hosted by three nations, with 104 matches played across 16 stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July 2026.

This hub maps every host city and venue: capacities, match counts, which stadiums stage the showpiece games, and what the spread of locations means for Belgian fans planning a trip or a late night in front of the screen.

All 16 venues at a glance

Each host stadium uses a sponsor-free tournament name for the competition. Capacities below are the approximate seated totals for the tournament configuration. The final column shows the latest stage each venue hosts.

The jump from 64 to 104 matches comes from the expansion to 48 teams and a new structure: twelve groups of four feed a round of 32, then a round of 16, before the usual quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. That extra round is why the eventual winners now play eight matches to lift the trophy, and why so many venues are needed to fit the schedule into roughly six weeks. It also means more host cities than ever, sixteen against the eight compact venues used in 2022, and a far wider geographic spread.

In total the 16 venues stage 104 matches, up from 64 at the previous tournament, reflecting the expansion to 48 teams. To see exactly when each game kicks off in Belgian time, use the WC 2026 kick-off times guide.

Where the key matches are played

The marquee fixtures are spread to give each host nation a moment in the spotlight, but the latter stages are concentrated in the United States.

• Opening match (11 June): Mexico City Stadium, the historic Azteca, which becomes the first venue to stage matches at three tournaments.
• Canada's opener (12 June): Toronto Stadium hosts the host nation's first game.
• Semi-finals (14 and 15 July): Dallas Stadium and Atlanta Stadium.
• Third-place match (18 July): Miami Stadium.
• Final (19 July): New York New Jersey Stadium, which also stages the first halftime show in WC history featured Shakira and more 

Every match from the quarter-finals onward is played in the United States. That arrangement gives the United States all three of the closing rounds, while Canada and Mexico share the earlier knockout games and the bulk of the group stage. For a full preview of the showpiece, see the WC 2026 final page, and the music and ceremony detail on the song and identity page.

United States venues

Eleven of the 16 venues are in the United States, grouped here by region. Most are home to a major American football team and will lay temporary natural grass over their usual surface for the tournament.

East coast

The east hosts the showpiece games. New York stages the final at the largest open-air venue on the list. Atlanta, with its camera-aperture retractable roof, hosts a semi-final, while Miami takes the third-place match and a quarter-final. Boston and Philadelphia complete the eastern cluster. New York's venue, shared by two American football teams in the Meadowlands area, has previously staged a Super Bowl and a major continental final, and will lay temporary natural grass for the tournament. Boston's ground sits in Foxborough, between Boston and Providence, while Philadelphia's stadium is known for its steep, atmospheric stands.

Central

Dallas hosts more matches than any other venue, nine in total, and a semi-final, helped by its huge retractable-roof arena. Houston adds another covered venue, and Kansas City, famous for record-breaking crowd noise, takes a quarter-final. The Dallas venue sits in Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth, and its sheer scale, with vast hanging video screens and a roof that can close, makes it the natural home for the heaviest schedule. Houston offers another climate-controlled option in a region where June and July heat is intense, which matters for both players and supporters.

West coast

Los Angeles hosts the United States opener and a quarter-final at its translucent-canopy venue. San Francisco and Seattle round out the Pacific group, each with six matches up to the round of 16. The Los Angeles venue, one of the most expensive ever built, has a fixed translucent roof with open sides, and its pitch corners need adjusting to meet full size. San Francisco's stadium is in Santa Clara, south of the city, while Seattle's downtown ground regularly draws large football crowds and shares the Pacific schedule with Belgium's group matches.

Canada venues

Canada hosts two venues, both staging group games and one knockout round each.

Toronto opens the Canadian programme on 12 June with the host nation's first match, after temporary stands lifted the venue to tournament capacity. Vancouver, with a retractable roof, hosts seven matches up to the round of 16, the most of any venue outside the United States. Both are existing football and multi-sport grounds that have been temporarily reconfigured for the tournament rather than purpose-built for it.

Vancouver is also a Group G venue, which makes it doubly relevant for Belgian fans: the Belgians close their group there against New Zealand on 27 June, so the city features in any plan built around the national team.

Both cities sit near the western and eastern edges of the country, which spreads the Canadian fixtures across the Pacific and Eastern time zones.

Mexico venues

Mexico hosts three venues, anchored by the most storied stadium in the tournament.

Mexico City stages the opening match on 11 June and becomes the first venue ever to host matches at three tournaments, after 1970 and 1986. Sitting around 2,200 metres above sea level, altitude is a genuine factor for visiting teams.

Guadalajara hosts four group-stage matches, while Monterrey adds four matches up to the round of 32. All three Mexican cities sit in the Central time zone. Between them they offer some of the most passionate atmospheres of the group stage, and the contrast between coastal heat and Mexico City's altitude gives the three grounds very different playing conditions for visiting teams.

Capacity, roofs and pitches

The venues vary widely in size and design, which affects atmosphere and how matches feel on screen. Capacities run from around 45,000 in Toronto to roughly 94,000 in Dallas, close to a twofold gap between the smallest and largest grounds.

• Largest: Dallas Stadium, at around 94,000, is comfortably the biggest, ahead of Mexico City and New York.
• Smallest: Toronto Stadium, at around 45,000 after temporary expansion, is the most intimate.
• Retractable or covered roofs: Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and Vancouver can close their roofs, which helps in heat or rain.
• Pitches: several American venues normally use synthetic turf, so they will install temporary natural grass to meet the standard required for the tournament.

Surface is the other practical issue. The tournament requires natural grass, but many American venues are built for synthetic turf, so groundstaff install temporary grass pitches grown off-site and laid in shortly before matches. Keeping that surface in good condition across a packed schedule, sometimes under a closed roof, has been one of the main operational challenges for the host venues.

Heat is a recurring theme as well: many group-stage matches in southern and central cities kick off in high summer, which is one reason the covered venues are valued. For the records and history behind the tournament, see the history and records page.

Where do Belgium play?

Belgium were drawn in Group G alongside Egypt, IR Iran and New Zealand. All three group matches fall on the western side of the map, in the Pacific time zone, which shapes both any travel plan and the viewing schedule at home.

A western base has a clear consequence at home. With the Pacific zone nine hours behind Belgium, these games land in the late evening or the early hours rather than mid-afternoon, so following the group stage means a few late nights. A team that finishes top of the group would then move into the round of 32 and could be drawn at a different venue, potentially further east.

For the exact Belgian kick-off times of each game, see the kick-off times page, and for the squad and form going into the tournament, see Belgium at WC 2026.

Time zones for Belgian fans

The host cities span three North American time zones: Pacific in the west, Central through the middle and Mexico, and Eastern on the seaboard and in Toronto.

In practice that means evening kick-offs on the east coast land late at night in Belgium, while west-coast games can run into the early hours. Unlike the 2022 tournament, which sat in a single time zone, 2026 stretches right across the continent, so there is no single viewing rhythm for Belgian fans. Eastern matches are the most watchable, often finishing before midnight, while a late Pacific kick-off can mean staying up well past 02:00. It is worth checking each fixture individually rather than assuming a fixed slot. The full conversion for every kick-off time is on the kick-off times page.

Travel notes for Belgium fans

Most Belgian supporters will fly from Brussels, with direct or one-stop routes to the major hubs in all three host countries. Because the tournament crosses three nations, a single trip can mean more than one border. Brussels Airport offers direct long-haul links to several of the larger host-city hubs, with onward domestic connections needed for the smaller markets. It is worth building extra time into any multi-city itinerary, since a single travel day can involve a long-haul leg and a domestic transfer.

Each country requires its own entry permission for Belgian passport holders: an electronic authorisation for the United States, a separate one for Canada, and a tourist entry form for Mexico. Requirements and fees change, so always check the official government source for each country before booking, rather than relying on third-party sites.

Distances are the biggest surprise for first-time visitors. A coast-to-coast trip, from a Pacific venue to an east-coast one, covers a similar distance to a flight from Brussels to the Middle East, so internal flights rather than driving are usually the only realistic option between regions. Within a single region, such as the north-east or California, driving or rail can work for nearby host cities.

If you plan to follow a single team, group your travel around its base cities rather than the whole map, as the distances between venues are continental. For ticket guidance, see the WC 2026 tickets hub.

Frequently asked questions

How many stadiums host WC 2026?

Sixteen, across three countries: eleven in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. Together they stage 104 matches.

Where is the final played?

At the New York New Jersey Stadium on 19 July 2026. It is an open-air venue with a tournament capacity of around 82,500, and it also hosts the first ever halftime show at a final.

Where is the opening match?

At Mexico City Stadium, the historic Azteca, on 11 June 2026. It becomes the first venue to host matches at three separate tournaments.

Which venue hosts the most matches?

Dallas Stadium, with nine matches including a semi-final, helped by its large retractable-roof design.

Are the knockout matches all in the United States?

From the quarter-finals onward, yes. The earlier knockout rounds are shared with Canada and Mexico, but the last three rounds are all played in the United States.

What time will matches start in Belgium?

It depends on the host city. Eastern venues are six hours behind Belgium, Central seven, and Pacific nine, so expect late-evening and early-hours kick-offs. The kick-off times page lists every slot in Belgian time.

Which cities host Belgium's group matches?

All three are in the west: Seattle (v Egypt, 15 June), Los Angeles (v IR Iran, 21 June) and Vancouver (v New Zealand, 27 June). Because they sit in the Pacific zone, the games fall late at night or early in the morning in Belgium.

Do any venues have a closed roof?

Yes. Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and Vancouver can close their roofs, which helps in extreme heat or rain. The other venues are open-air, some with partial canopies over the stands.

Why do the stadiums use different names during the tournament?

Because the organisers apply a sponsor-free naming policy for the event. Venues that normally carry a commercial brand name take a neutral, city-based tournament name for the duration of the competition, which is why the names here may differ from the ones you see the rest of the year.

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Explore the host cities

• New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta
• Miami, Boston, Philadelphia and Houston
• Kansas City, San Francisco and Seattle
• Toronto and Vancouver (Canada)
• Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey (Mexico)
• Kick-off times and the WC 2026 hub

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