From Kylian Mbappe to Christian Pulisic: A World Cup starter pack for the 2026 tournament hosted by the USMNT, Mexico and Canada

North America is no stranger to the World Cup, although this tournament will be the first time it arrives in this part of the world in 32 years. The last time, of course, was in 1994, when the U.S. hosted what ultimately proved to be a game-changing tournament for both the country and the sport itself.  A total of 78 matches will be held in the U.S. this time around.

No country has hosted the tournament more than Mexico, though, which will host 13 of the games this edition. Mexico has previously hosted in 1970 and 1986, and will be the first country to host three separate World Cup tournaments this year.

Finally, Canada will host the men's World Cup for the first time with 13 games on its soil. The country did, however, serve as hosts for the 2015 Women's World Cup, which the U.S. also previously hosted in 1999 and 2003.

So, actually paying your way into this thing gets complicated. FIFA implemented a lottery system - which is nothing new - for the right to buy tickets. In mid January, they announced that they had over 500 million ticket requests (although it did not reveal how many had been successful). 

Of course, different games will cost different amounts. Group stage fixtures featuring non-hosts start as low as $65 but can go as high as over $300 depending on the matchup and demand. They get more and more expensive, round by round. The cheapest ticket to the final is $4,185 at face value - but could go for far more on the resale market.

And this is where it gets complicated. FIFA has introduced dynamic pricing for the 2026 World Cup, changing the cost of tickets based on demand. This is nothing new for entertainment events in America - or even for football itself. But it remains the case that tickets can get either cheaper or more expensive in the coming months. FIFA has come under fire for the high cost of entry into the World Cup. This is, by some distance, the most expensive iteration of the tournament ever. 

One of the most exciting aspects of this tournament is that there is no clear-cut "favorite", but rather a collection of elite teams that all have the talent to win.

Argentina are up there, of course, as Lionel Messi looks to defend the 2022 trophy. Spain are in the mix, too, as Lamine Yamal leads a new generation of Spanish stars riding high off a Euro win. France always have the talent and depth to compete, while Portugal and England will feel that their teams are more well-rounded than ever, too. And then there are traditional powers like the Netherlands, Germany, and Brazil, all of whom have history and expectations heading into this competition.

There are a few teams just outside the elite that are worth watching out for. It probably starts with co-hosts, the USMNT. They have improved immensely over the last 18 months under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, and led by star man Christian Pulisic, they could spring an upset if they play to their potential. Canada, too, will feel they have a good chance to make a run, with a generation of talent all coming into their prime.

African football has undergone something of a renaissance of late. They might not have the raw star power of years past, but the floor is much higher than it used to be. Morocco and Senegal - who recently played a remarkable AFCON final - will both be tough outs. 

But the South American teams could be the most dangerous. Brazil and Argentina are both known quantities and will go into the tournament expected to win it. But CONMEBOL, the South American soccer federation, is laden with talent. Colombia are the most obvious contender to go far. They have one of the most exciting attacking players in the game, Luis Diaz, and a solid structure around him. Cult hero James Rodriguez, who broke out at the 2014 World Cup, probably has one last major tournament in his aging legs. 

Ecuador don't have the same quality in an attacking sense, but their defense was consistently the best in South American qualifying, and they will be a nightmare to play against should they get through their group. 

Where do you want to start? World Cups are about teams, but they're also about star power. From Pelé in 1958 to Diego Maradona in 1986, Kylian Mbappe in 2018 and Lionel Messi in 2022, the tournament has been a forum to seal greatness. This is a strange generation in that sense. Messi, for so long, was the guy who could never win it, but by leading Argentina to a title in 2022, sealed his reputation for good. Everything else now feels like a bonus for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. 

There are plenty of big names to watch here. Cristiano Ronaldo might be the tragic hero - a sentence that has quite literally never been said about the Portuguese - as this would seem to be his last chance to lift the World Cup. Should he fail, Ronaldo will surely be the best to never do it. Outside of him, there's plenty of talent. The French are laden with star power, featuring reigning Ballon d'Or Winner Ousmane Dembele and the ever-electrifying Mbappe. England, too, have their share of big names, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham leading the way. 

And then, there is the ridiculously good Spain. Teenager Lamine Yamal led La Roja to the EURO 2024 title, and has only improved since. With the wonderful Pedri in midfield, they will be magic to watch. Toss in Vinicius Jr, Virgil Van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Erling Haaland, and there's a lot of can't-miss soccer going on. 

Regardless of whether each stadium sells out or not, this summer's World Cup is guaranteed to be the most attended tournament in history. That comes as a result of the expansion to 48 teams, which means that the total number of games played will increase from 64 to 104. FIFA is expected to sell massive amounts of tickets for those 104 games, though, as fans are set to travel across North America for the biggest World Cup ever.

As of late 2025, over two million tickets had already been sold, despite ticket controversies, and FIFA said last summer that 6.5 million fans are expected to be in stadiums next summer. That number would nearly double the record for the highest-attended World Cup, which came the last time the tournament arrived in North America back in 1994. That summer, over 3.5 million fans attended matches with an average of 68,000 spectators per match, and this summer promises to be even bigger.

The location for the first game just feels right. It's at the Estadio Azteca, which has a fine history in the pantheon of soccer stadiums. It is the first stadium to host two World Cup finals in both 1970 and 1986. It was also home to the 1986 quarterfinal, where Diego Maradona scored the famous "hand of god" goal.

The opening matchup probably isn't so iconic. But it is one for those who know ball. Mexico and South Africa played against each other in the first game of the 2010 tournament, and will revive that rivalry on June 11. That game, back in 2010, yielded one of the more memorable moments in World Cup history when South Africa took an unlikely 1-0 lead on home soil. Here's to hoping that this summer's opener delivers similar fireworks. 

The pressure, of course, will be on Mexico. El Tri have struggled at World Cups of late, but with some promising players breaking through, buoyed by veteran experience, will need to get off to a winning start. 

There was no shortage of cities jostling for hosting rights at this World Cup. In total, 41 cities submitted paperwork to be part of the bid. In the end, 15 host cities were selected by FIFA, with two in Canada, three in Mexic,o and 11 in the U.S.

The stadiums selected to host games in the U.S. will be familiar to American sports fans. All 11 are NFL stadiums that are among the most modern in the world. Of the 11, all have been built or renovated in the 21st century. Stadiums in Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are among the most high-tech in the world, while the finale will be played just outside of New York at MetLife Stadium. The 1994 World Cup finale was hosted at the Rose Bowl, which was one of the final few cuts during the bidding process, with SoFi Stadium in LA already in the mix.

The tournament's opener, though, will be played in Mexico at this hemisphere's most decorated soccer venue: the Estadio Azteca. The Azteca has previously hosted two World Cup finals and countless major matches, headlining Mexico's venues alongside Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Monterrey's Estadio BBVA.

Finally, Canada will host matches in Toronto and Vancouver, with the former's stadium, BMO Stadium, set to be expanded for the tournament.

The 104th and final game will be held on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as the New York area hosts the tournament finale for the first time. The match will be held at MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets.

The stadium has plenty of history as a soccer host, too. MetLife Stadium hosted nine matches at the 2025 Club World Cup, including the finale between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. It also previously hosted the 2016 Copa America Centenario finale, as well as dozens of high-profile international and club friendly matches. In another lifetime, the stadium's predecessor, Giants Stadium, was once the home of Pelé's New York Cosmos during American soccer's first real boom.