England men’s next major tournament after this summer’s European Championship will be the 2026 World Cup staged in North America.
The tournament will break new ground as it is hosted by three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico – as well as being expanded to include 48 teams.
The state of the pitches and training facilities in the US have come under scrutiny during the Copa America, with Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa launching into a furious broadside about conditions.
Temperatures are also expected to soar at the World Cup, which will be returning to its usual summer slot after a winter renewal in Qatar.
Here is what we know so far.
Where will the next World Cup take place?
In a tournament first, the World Cup will be held across three host countries after the North American trio’s bid fended off a strong proposal from Morocco.
The matches will be played across 16 cities – 11 from the US, two in Canada and three in Mexico. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will all be held in the States.
Here is the list of cities that will be hosting at least one World Cup match.
- Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver.
The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will host the final on July 19, 2026. The venue has a capacity of 82,500.
The stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets, has hosted the Super Bowl and recently sold-out shows by pop superstars such as Taylor Swift and Beyonce. It boasts lavish interior member clubs with views of the New York skyline.
The semi-finals will be held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, while the quarter-finals will be at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Miami will also host the third-place play-off.
Mexico will open the tournament on June 11 with their first group match at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
The USA will begin their campaign at the SoFi in LA on June 12 and will remain on the West Coast for the group stage, with two matches in Seattle. Canada will play their opening match in Toronto also on June 12.
Canada and Mexico are also guaranteed to play all their group matches on home soil, with Guadalajara and Vancouver also hosting.
To limit the travel of teams and fans, the three host countries have been broken down into east, central and west regions, where teams will be based for the group stage.
When is the next World Cup?
The opening match will take place on June 11, when Mexico kick off at the legendary Azteca Stadium (which will become the first stadium to host three World Cup openers) and the last of the 104 matches will be contested when the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the final on on July 19.
The full fixture list and kick-off times will be confirmed following the final draw, which is expected to be towards the end of 2025.