11 June - 19 July 2026 | USA, Canada & Mexico
The biggest World Cup ever. 48 teams, 16 cities, 104 matches. For the first time, three nations will host together. For football-mad Kerala, the action starts late night - so stock up on chaya and get ready.
All times shown in IST. USA is roughly 9.5 to 12.5 hours behind India depending on timezone.
Biggest structural change since 1998. Here is how it works.
48 teams, 12 groups of 4. Each team plays 3 group stage matches. Top 2 from every group plus the 8 best third-placed teams make it to the new Round of 32. After that it is straight knockout till the final.
The full draw was finalised on 5 December 2025 in Washington DC. Last playoff teams confirmed on 31 March 2026.
All 72 group stage matches. Times converted to Indian Standard Time - most kickoffs fall late night or early morning for Kerala viewers.
First time ever a Round of 32 is added. Total 32 knockout matches.
From 28 June to 3 July 2026. Venues include SoFi Stadium, NRG Houston, Gillette, Estadio BBVA, AT&T Arlington, MetLife, Estadio Azteca, Mercedes-Benz Atlanta, Lumen Seattle, Levi's, BMO Toronto, BC Place, Hard Rock Miami and Arrowhead Kansas City.
From 4 to 7 July 2026. Houston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Mexico City, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta and Vancouver.
Thu 9 Jul: Gillette Stadium, Boston | Fri 10 Jul: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood | Sat 11 Jul: Hard Rock Miami & Arrowhead Kansas City
Tue 14 Jul, 12:30 AM IST (Wed): AT&T Stadium, Dallas | Wed 15 Jul, 12:30 AM IST (Thu): Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Sun 19 Jul, 2:30 AM IST: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Mon 20 Jul 2026, 12:30 AM IST: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. Capacity 82,500. Kerala's football fans, clear your calendar.
16 venues across 3 countries. USA has 11 cities hosting 78 matches, Mexico has 3 cities with 13 matches, Canada has 2 cities with 13 matches.
Likely the last dance for some of football's biggest names. A stage for the next generation to announce themselves.
As of April 2026, the Indian TV and streaming rights are still not sold. Worrying for fans.
For the first time in recent memory, India's 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast rights are unsold just weeks before kickoff. FIFA initially asked around $100 million for the bundled 2026 and 2030 rights. Even after a cut to around $35 million, neither JioStar nor Sony has bitten.
Why the hesitation? Late-night match timings for Indian audiences, low advertising inventory in football compared to cricket, and no India team in the tournament make the economics difficult. Broadcasters have also already committed billions to cricket rights through IPL and ICC events.
What are the options now?
We will update this page the moment an official broadcaster is announced.
Palakkad & Kerala have a football obsession that rivals any European country. Here's what to expect.
Most matches kick off between 10:30 PM and 7:30 AM IST. For Kerala football fans, this means the familiar routine - chaya, newspaper next morning, and loud debates at the local chayakkada about who robbed whom of the goal.
Expect the usual Kerala madness - massive cut-outs of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar across villages, flags on houses, and temporary football screening setups in clubs and town halls. Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad will once again become football capitals for a month.
Best group-stage matches for Kerala fans (IST-friendly timings): Brazil vs Morocco (14 Jun, 3:30 AM), Argentina vs Algeria (17 Jun, 6:30 AM), France vs Senegal (17 Jun, 12:30 AM), England vs Croatia (20 Jun, 1:30 AM), Spain vs Uruguay (27 Jun, 5:30 AM).
The old favourites: Argentina and Brazil remain the two most-supported teams in Kerala. Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and England all have serious local followings. Do not be surprised if you see a Morocco or Senegal flag too - Kerala rewards teams that play with heart.