When is the World Cup 2026? Important dates and times
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico takes place between the 11th June to 19th July 2026. You’ll be able to find
World Cup betting odds
on all 104 matches in the tournament across the best betting sites in the UK for sports throughout this time.
More specifically, here are some key dates you’ll want to keep in mind:
- The first America, Canada and Mexico 2026 World Cup game – Mexico vs South Africa – takes place on 11th June at 8pm BST
- England’s World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico begins on 17th June at 9pm against Croatia. Other confirmed dates for England include a fixture against Ghana on 25th June and against Panama on 27th June at 9pm and 10pm respectively.
- The FIFA World Cup 26 Round of 32 gets underway from 28th June until 3rd July.
- The World Cup Round of 16 2026 takes place between 4th and 7th July.
- The World Cup Quarter-finals take place on the 9th to 11th July.
- The Semi-finals World Cup fixtures will occur on the 14th and 15th July, with the Third place play-off taking place on the 18th July.
- It all comes to a head on 19th July with the World Cup Final taking place at MetLife Stadium.
Where is the World Cup 2026? Location details
The World Cup 2026 will be taking place in three separate countries in America, Canada and Mexico and the tournament will have 48 teams for the first time ever.
There will be 16 host cities at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Canada hosting two, Mexico three and USA 11. The host cities in Canada will be Toronto and Vancouver, Mexico will have Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. The American cities will be Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
Eight of the 16 chosen stadiums have permanent artificial turf surfaces, but plans are in place to replace them with actual grass for the World Cup tournament.
Some of the stadiums being used are well known with the final being held at the MetLife Stadium - home of the New York Giants and New York Jets NFL teams. Other venues include Lumen Field in Seattle, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, BC Place in Vancouver and Estadio Banorte in Mexico City.
How the FIFA World Cup works: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers to Finals
If you’re not that familiar with this tournament, there’s no need to worry. The structure is simple enough to not undermine your America, Canada and World Cup bets. There’s just a few key things to keep in mind.
- The FIFA World Cup qualifiers determine which 45 teams would be joining America, Canada and Mexico in the group stages.
- The group stages of the tournament pits 12 groups of four teams against one another, with three matches each.
- Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw.
- The top two teams then move onto a knockout stage, which in the 2026 World Cup, begins with a Round of 32, while eight third-ranked teams will join them
- With every game, one team moves forward and another gets eliminated until we’re left with two to make our World Cup Final on the 19th July.
Our favourite World Cup betting sites
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FIFA World Cup draw explained
In the knockout phase – unlike the group stages of the tournament – there must be a winner. However, you can bet on a FIFA World Cup draw in regular play throughout the tournament, as full time result markets are typically concluded at the end of 90 minutes plus injury time.
For an interactive draw - have a look of
official FIFA site.
World Cup 2026 Group A
- Mexico
- South Africa
- South Korea
- UEFA Path D Winner
World Cup 2026 Group B
- Canada
- UEFA Path A Winner
- Qatar
- Switzerland
World Cup 2026 Group C
- Brazil
- Morocco
- Haiti
- Scotland
World Cup 2026 Group D
- United States
- Paraguay
- Australia
- UEFA Path C Winner
World Cup 2026 Group E
- Germany
- Curacao
- Ivory Coast
- Ecuador
World Cup 2026 Group F
- Netherlands
- Japan
- UEFA Path B Winner
- Tunisia
World Cup 2026 Group G
- Belgium
- Egypt
- Iran
- New Zealand
World Cup 2026 Group H
- Spain
- Cape Verde
- Saudi Arabia
- Uruguay
World Cup 2026 Group I
- France
- Senegal
- IC Path 2 Winner
- Norway
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
World Cup 2026 Group J
- Argentina
- Algeria
- Austria
- Jordan
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
World Cup 2026 Group K
- Portugal
- IC Path I Winner
- Uzbekistan
- Colombia
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
World Cup 2026 Group L
- England
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Panama
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
There are typically many promotions available on football markets in general. And on top of that, betting sites will likely try to entice you into choosing them by providing
World Cup betting offers
specifically for this event. This could include everything from free bets to odds boosts and more.
America, Canada & Mexico World Cup markets to explore
Football in general is blessed with a great variety of betting markets. In addition, there’s also many great markets available for the World Cup specifically. Below are five examples of the great betting buffet available to you during the World Cup:
You can bet on pretty much every stage of this tournament – from the
World Cup opening match
to the Finals. Simply predict who you think will make the final showdown. This is a fantastic example of not just being able to bet on who will win the World Cup, but what the FIFA World Cup 2026 will look like throughout.
This is awarded to whichever player scores the most goals in the entire tournament. So, it’s not just on individual games where you can enjoy player-focused markets. Previous
World Cup Golden Boot winners
include Harry Kane, Gary Lineker and Thierry Henry, to give a few examples.
If you want, you can focus entirely on individual groups. This allows you to back teams which may be unlikely to go all the way to the final match but you think will be successful against a specific set of teams. This provides a great set of betting opportunities away from the
World Cup favourites.
This is awarded to whoever is voted as the
best player in the World Cup
by a FIFA technical committee. So, it could go to the
best World Cup goalkeeper
just as easily as it could go to the finest striker. This is based on votes rather than stats, so although results will have an impact, this market allows you to think more broadly about how top players have contributed throughout the tournament.
In terms of World Cup markets, the overall winner – simple and obvious though it may be – remains a tantilising prospect. It’s who you back to make history, defy all others and emerge victorious. Plus, getting in early on this market can provide potentially very rewarding odds, plus intrigue throughout.
Conclusion: A varied FIFA World Cup 2026 betting experience
The purpose of World Cup betting goes beyond simply making your best predictions and hoping you see a return. It’s about adding an extra dash of intrigue to a football extravaganza.
The popularity of the World Cup also pays dividends here too, providing more markets, better odds and more promotions to be enjoyed. Put simply, it’s a perfect match of sporting greatness with world class betting options.
World Cup betting FAQ
⚽ When does the World Cup 2026 take place?
FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place from 11th June until 19th July.
❓ Where is the 2026 World Cup located?
FIFA World Cup 2026 is located in three different countries. It will be held in America, Canada and Mexico with 16 host cities.
If you’re looking into betting on the World Cup 2026, then you’re probably wondering what, if any, promotional offers you can look forward to from bookmakers. As part of our page on all things related to betting on the World Cup, we’ll be making clear if betting offers can indeed be expected.
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet (place element of E/W bets excluded). Min odds apply. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (each requires 2+ selections). Valid 7 days. Excludes eSports and non-UK/IE horse racing.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
