When does the 2026 World Cup end?
· Yahoo Sports
Thirty-nine days of soccer. 104 matches. Forty-eight teams across three countries. It began on June 11 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup all comes down to one game.
The World Cup ends Sunday, July 19, in the shadows of the New York City skyline at MetLife Stadium, or New York/New Jersey Stadium according to FIFA, in East Rutherford, N.J. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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It is the biggest World Cup ever, and it's not even close. It's the first ever with 48 teams, up from 32. The old format had 64 games. This one needs almost six weeks and 16 stadiums to settle on a champion.
Getting there is a grind.
Group play ends June 27. Then the bracket takes over, and for the first time, it runs through five knockout rounds instead of four. Here is how the road to the title and MetLife Stadium breaks down:
Round of 32 schedule and host cities
This is the new one. The 48-team field added a knockout round to the format. The Round of 32 runs June 28 to July 3, with 16 games spread across all three host countries. Mexico, Canada and the United States all get matches from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to BC Place in Vancouver to AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
After this round, the field starts to thin fast.
Round of 16 schedule
The familiar part of the World Cup begins July 4 and runs through July 7. Eight matches in eight cities. It opens at NRG Stadium in Houston on July 4 and closes at BC Place in Vancouver on July 7. This is also last call for the co-hosts. Mexico's final knockout match is at Estadio Azteca on July 5.
The rest of the matches are all in the United States.
Quarterfinals schedule
Eight teams, four games in three days. The quarterfinals run July 9 to 11 in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Kansas City.
Semifinals schedule
The final four begins July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The second is July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both kick off at 3 p.m. ET. The two winners punch their ticket to New Jersey.
Third-place match
Most people forget about this round, except for the countries that are playing in it. The two losers in the semifinals will meet Saturday, July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium outside of Miami.
The road ends in New Jersey/New York
The final celebrates the end of the nearly six-week long spectacle, looking to crown a champion. Argentina, the defending champions, is looking to get back here. No team has defended its World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.
It's a long, grinding road to the end.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 final date, time and location