FIFA has unveiled the schedule and venues for the largest World Cup ever, spanning 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria explained that organizers worked to balance team recovery, fan travel, and global broadcast needs across different climates and time zones. The tournament will open on June 11 in Mexico City, where El Tri will face South Africa, and culminate with the final in New Jersey. In total, 78 matches will be played in the U.S., with 13 each in Mexico and Canada.
The knockout rounds will be staged entirely in the United States. Quarterfinals are set for Foxborough, Inglewood, Miami Gardens, and Kansas City between July 9–11, with semifinals on July 14 in Arlington and July 15 in Atlanta, both in retractable-roof stadiums. The U.S. men’s national team will play its group matches in Inglewood, Seattle, and SoFi Stadium, facing Paraguay, Australia, and one of several European qualifiers. South Korea, notably, will play all its group games in Mexico, while Japan’s clash with Tunisia in Monterrey on June 20 will mark the 1,000th World Cup match.
Other highlights include Germany’s opener against Curaçao on June 14 in Houston, a closed stadium chosen to avoid weather concerns. Curaçao enters as the smallest nation ever to qualify, with a population of about 150,000. FIFA president Gianni Infantino emphasized that venue selection aimed to minimize travel burdens and optimize kickoff times for global audiences. The schedule reflects both logistical precision and historic milestones, underscoring the scale and ambition of this expanded tournament.