FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States

Players at FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States will benefit from three-minute hydration breaks in each half of games as FIFA prioritises player welfare at next year's tournament. The referee will stop the game 22 minutes into each half to allow players to rehydrate. There will be no weather or temperature condition in place, with the breaks being called by the referee in all games, to ensure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches. Manolo Zubiria, Chief Tournament Officer, USA, for the FIFA World Cup 2026 said: "For every game, no matter where games are played, no matter if there's a roof, (or) temperature-wise, there will be a three-minute hydration break. It will be three minutes from whistle to whistle in both halves." Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eHabXwN8

How do you build a match schedule for the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup? ⏱️ Manolo Zubiria, Chief Tournament Officer (USA), discusses the processes behind the planning and organisation of the 104 fixtures at FIFA World Cup 2026.

Confirmed! ✅ The opening match of FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States will be a repeat of the 2010 tournament's opening fixture: Mexico vs South Africa! 🏆

The updated FIFA World Cup 2026™ match schedule is now available 🏆 Following a dazzling Final Draw that revealed who-plays-who, fans from the 42 qualified teams – and the 22 still in contention for the final six slots – have now discovered where and when their FIFA World Cup dream begins. In a live broadcast from Washington DC featuring FIFA Legends Ronaldo Nazário, Francesco Totti, Hristo Stoichkov and Alexi Lalas, FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled the tournament’s updated match schedule, designed to offer the best possible conditions for teams, spectators and fans following their nations around the world.

Four FIFA Legends to help reveal the match schedule for the first 48-team, 104-match FIFA World Cup™️. 🤝 On Saturday, 6 December at 12:00 EST (18:00 CET), FIFA will confirm the venues and kick-off times for the biggest FIFA World Cup™️ ever via a live broadcast that will air across FIFA platforms, ensuring that fans across the globe can follow the announcement in real time. To help confirm where and when every match of the tournament will be played, FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be joined by legends of the global game, including FIFA World Cup winners Ronaldo Nazário and Francesco Totti, as well as Hristo Stoichkov and Alexi Lalas.

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ groups are here! 🏆 The groups and match-ups for next year’s FIFA World Cup, the biggest sporting event in history, have been revealed in the capital of the United States, Washington DC. Before a live studio audience of nearly 2,000 international guests at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and with an audience of millions engaging globally, the twelve groups of four teams for the game-changing 23rd edition of the tournament were determined. The full reveal of match venues and kick-off times for next year’s 104-match tournament will take place in a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December at 12:00 EST (18:00 CET) from Washington DC. Fans across the host countries and around the world can watch the show at FIFA.com. Read more: https://lnkd.in/evrnXW-x

It's almost time for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw 🏆 Visit FIFA.com to find out where you can watch the Draw in your territory.

“No stone unturned”: Referees undergo meticulous preparation for FIFA World Cup 2026™ ⚽️ Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, has spoken about the meticulous preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, ensuring that standards are as high as possible. Preparations for the upcoming tournament – the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature 48 teams – began almost as soon as the one in Qatar had finished. A pool of candidates went through a number of seminars in different areas of the world. Pierluigi Collina said: "We continued and we monitored our referees in terms of their performances in domestic competitions, also in confederation competitions. We monitored their fitness, their health, nutrition. Everything has been checked and controlled with the purpose of getting the referees ready.” “The expectations for refereeing at the (FIFA) World Cup 2026 are very high because we had a very, very successful (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar in 2022. So, of course, the bar has been positioned very high, and we cannot go lower." “Everything is very, very professional. We are working with top specialists in different areas. So, we really do not leave any stone unturned to get them prepared.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHNP2KA7

A legendary multi-sport line-up at the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ 🙌 FIFA Legend and former England captain Rio Ferdinand will conduct the unprecedented 48-team draw alongside award-winning broadcaster Samantha Johnson on Friday, 5 December 2025. They will be joined by an extraordinary line-up of draw assistants – Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal. Special guest Eli Manning will also add star power as the red carpet host. The Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ will transform Washington DC into the epicentre of global sport, when the eyes of the world turn to the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Blending sport, entertainment and spectacle like never before, the show will reveal the group-stage matchups for the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup™, marking the beginning of a new era for the world’s game. “To conduct this historic draw is an unbelievable honour," said Ferdinand. "As a player, I lived for these global stages – now I’m humbled to play a different, special role together with an incredible line-up to reveal the 12 groups of four teams that the whole world is waiting for.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-_beC8D

The LEGO Group and FIFA World Cup 2026 give fans the chance to build football’s ultimate prize 🏆 The FIFA World Cup 2026 has announced a groundbreaking initiative with the LEGO Group ahead of the draw for next year’s tournament. This unprecedented collaboration aims to bring even more creativity and fun into the world of football for fans of all ages around the world. The collaboration represents a perfect match for LEGO play and football enthusiasts alike. The collaboration is debuting with the Iconic LEGO® Editions FIFA World Cup™ Official Trophy – a product that is available immediately for pre-order. This marks the first time fans can build a detailed, replicate 1:1 scale model of sport’s most prestigious and iconic trophy, allowing them to bring home a golden piece of the tournament’s magic. The LEGO® Editions FIFA World Cup™ Official Trophy set goes on sale in March 2026. This ultimate prize model is constructed from 2,842 LEGO elements, including the highest number of gold-coloured bricks ever used in a single LEGO set. Romy Gai, FIFA Chief Business Officer said: “We are delighted to announce this groundbreaking collaboration with the LEGO Group. The LEGO brand is one of the world’s most loved and iconic brands, so joining forces with them to present football fans around the globe an opportunity to build their very own version of sport’s most prestigious trophy, the FIFA World Cup, provides perfect synergy. “It is the first time FIFA and the LEGO Group have teamed up on such a project, and with the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup fast approaching – we hope fans take this opportunity to embrace the spirit of the global game’s greatest event, and bring a little piece of the party into their homes to keep forever.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/eiKBGKSz