This will be Lamine Yamal's first World Cup (and Messi's last)

BarcelonaAfter winning La Liga with Barça and the European Championship with Spain, Lamine Yamal still has three major challenges firmly in his sights: winning a Ballon d'Or, winning the Champions League, and winning a World Cup. To achieve the latter, he already knows the path he must follow this summer with the Spanish national team, where they will face Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde in the group stage.

This will be Lamine Yamal's first World Cup and Leo Messi's last. The Argentine, the reigning champion, has not yet confirmed his participation in the tournament, although all indications point to him being included in the squad.light blue and whiteArgentina will face Algeria, Austria, and Jordan in the first round. Argentina and Spain are the two teams at the top of the FIFA rankings, so they could not meet until a hypothetical final – if both finish first in their respective groups. However, if one of the two teams finishes second in the group stage, then the match would be in the round of 32.

The draw took place this Friday in the United States, with a grand gala that lasted two hours and in which Donald Trump was a key figure. The US president was awarded the FIFA Peace Prize, which recognizes his "extraordinary action" in trying to achieve peace in conflict zones such as Gaza, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Ukraine, according to football's governing body. Gianni Infantino, president of UEFA, presented him with the award in person.

The competition will kick off on Thursday, June 11th at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico and will conclude on Sunday, July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey. A total of 39 days of competition will feature 104 matches. This will be the first edition with the new format, which has initially included 48 teams in the tournament. Of these, 42 have already been selected, and the remaining six will be determined at the end of March, when the playoffs take place.

The World Cup Groups

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and a playoff team (Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark or Macedonia)

Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland and a playoff team (Italy or Ireland)

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti and Scotland

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia and a playoff team (Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey or Romania)

Group E: Germany, Kuwait

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia and a playoff team (Ukraine, Sweden, Poland or Albania)

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway and a playoff team (Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname)

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria and Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia and Congo

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama

Where is the 2026 Men's World Cup being played?

The tournament will be held in 16 venues across three countries: the United States (11), Mexico (3), and Canada (2).

The US venues are: Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 75,000 spectators), Boston (Gillette Stadium, 65,000), Dallas (AT&T Stadium, 94,000), Houston (NRG Stadium, 72,000), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium, 70,000), Miami (Hard Rock Stadium, 65,000), New York and New Jersey (MetLife Stadium, 82,500), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field, 69,000), and San Francisco (Levi's Stadium, 69,000). The Mexican venues are: Mexico City (Estadio Azteca, 83,000 spectators), Guadalajara (Estadio Akron, 48,000), and Monterrey (Estadio BBVA, 53,500). The Canadian venues are: Toronto (BMO Field, 45,000 spectators) and Vancouver (BC Place, 54,000).

What will the dates be for the 2026 World Cup?

The competition will begin on Thursday, June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico and will end on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New York and New Jersey.

Group stage: From June 11 to 27.

Sixteenth round: From June 28 to July 3.

Round of 16: From July 4th to 7th.

Quarter finals: July 9-11

Semifinals: July 14 and 15

Third place match: July 18

End: July 19

When will the 2026 World Cup playoffs take place?

Currently, 42 teams have already qualified. The remaining 6 spots, bringing the total to 48 for the World Cup, will be filled through the playoffs, which will take place during the next FIFA international break in March (between the 26th and 31st). There are two playoffs: an intercontinental playoff that will award two places to the teams of New Caledonia, Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, and Suriname. The other is the UEFA playoff, which will award the final four spots to teams from Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Wales, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Romania, Sweden, and North Macedonia.

How to buy tickets for the 2026 World Cup?

Tickets for the World Cup are managed directly by FIFA through its website. Those wishing to travel to Mexico, the United States, or Canada must register and will receive information about the ticket sales process.