Three Nations, One World Cup: 2026 Tournament to Open with Separate Ceremonies
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin with three separate opening ceremonies, one in each host nation, on June 11-12, 2026. Each ceremony will take place immediately before the respective host country's first group stage match. All 104 tournament matches and ceremonies are scheduled through July 19, 2026.
Host Nation Ceremonies and Matches
Mexico
- Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Mexico City Stadium
- Match: Mexico vs. South Africa
- Performers: Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Tyla, Burna Boy, J Balvin, Shakira, Danny Ocean
Canada
- Date: Friday, June 12, 2026
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Toronto Stadium
- Match: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Performers: Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, William Prince, Elyanna, Sanjoy, Vegedream
United States
- Date: Friday, June 12, 2026
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT)
- Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California (Los Angeles area)
- Match: USA vs. Paraguay (scheduled for 9 p.m. ET)
- Performers: Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema, Tyla
Additional Match Details
The Brazil vs. Morocco group stage match is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The full group stage is scheduled from June 11 to June 27, 2026.
Broadcast and Streaming Information
- United States (English): FOX, FS1
- United States (Spanish): Telemundo
- Streaming: FOX One, DirecTV, YouTube TV, Peacock
- Free access: Tubi will provide free simulcasts of the Mexico and United States ceremonies and matches.
Several streaming services, including YouTube TV, FOX One, and Peacock, are offering free trial periods.