Tessa Lee, Sports journalist reporting on global leagues since 2021.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin this week across Mexico, the United States and Canada, marking the largest tournament in football history. The expanded competition will feature 48 nations, including Australia, and starts on Friday morning AEST with Mexico facing South Africa in the opening match at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. With more teams, more matches and three host nations, the tournament promises to be one of the biggest sporting events ever staged.
The World Cup remains football’s premier event, producing iconic moments across generations and capturing the attention of billions of fans worldwide.
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 start?
The tournament officially begins with the opening ceremony at Estadio Azteca before Mexico takes on South Africa.
The match kicks off at 5am AEST on Friday.
Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to be used at three different World Cups, having previously hosted the finals in 1970 and 1986.
The United States and Canada begin their campaigns the following day. Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the United States meets Paraguay in Los Angeles.
The final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.
When do the Socceroos play?
Australia has been drawn into Group D alongside Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay.
The Socceroos begin their campaign in Vancouver before travelling to Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Australia group stage fixtures
Australia vs Türkiye
Sunday June 14
2pm AEST
BC Place, Vancouver
Australia vs United States
Saturday June 20
5am AEST
Seattle Stadium
Australia vs Paraguay
Friday June 26
12pm AEST
San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Australia will be aiming to advance beyond the group stage for only the third time in its history after previous knockout appearances in 2006 and 2022.
How does the tournament format work?
The 2026 World Cup introduces a new expanded format.
There are 12 groups containing four teams each.
Every team plays three group matches.
The top two teams from each group automatically advance to the knockout rounds.
They are joined by the eight best third placed teams, creating a 32 team knockout stage.
The tournament then follows a traditional elimination structure through the round of 32, round of 16, quarter finals, semi finals and final.
Sixteen cities across the three host nations will stage matches.
Dallas and Atlanta will host the semi finals, while Miami stages the third place playoff.
Which countries are competing?
A total of 48 nations qualified for the expanded tournament.
Australia secured direct qualification through the Asian Football Confederation qualifying campaign.
The United States, Canada and Mexico qualified automatically as host nations.
Several smaller football nations have also reached the tournament thanks to the expanded format.
Curacao becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, with a population of approximately 156,000 people.
Cape Verde has also earned a historic qualification.
Political discussions surrounded Iran's participation in the months leading into the tournament, but the nation remains part of the competition.
Who are the favourites to win?
Australia enters the tournament as a significant outsider.
Most analysts consider Spain among the leading contenders following its recent European Championship success.
France and England are also widely regarded as major threats.
Defending world champion Argentina remains one of the favourites, while Brazil is expected to challenge strongly once again.
The expanded format creates more opportunities for surprises, but the traditional football powers remain at the front of most predictions.
Golden Boot contenders
The race for the Golden Boot, awarded to the tournament's leading scorer, is expected to be highly competitive.
France superstar Kylian Mbappe is among the leading contenders given both his scoring record and France's chances of a deep tournament run.
England captain Harry Kane is also expected to feature prominently in the scoring charts.
Argentina icon Lionel Messi remains a player capable of producing decisive moments on the biggest stage.
Norway striker Erling Haaland could emerge as a strong contender if Norway progresses deep into the knockout rounds.
How can fans follow the tournament?
ABC Sport will provide daily live blogs covering matches, major stories and the Socceroos campaign throughout the tournament.
Comprehensive reporting will also be available across ABC News platforms.
SBS holds the television and streaming rights for the World Cup in Australia.
Public viewing events are expected across several Australian cities, with Federation Square in Melbourne once again serving as a major gathering point for fans.
With 48 teams, 16 host cities and a month of football ahead, the FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to deliver another memorable chapter in the history of the sport.