The FIFA World Cup 2026 Has Just Kicked Off (Literally), Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Whether you call it football or soccer, we can all agree that the FIFA World Cup is the most anticipated competition for fans of The Beautiful Game. And the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicking off across varying locations in North America this week, is no exception.

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More than a competition, the event is a pillar of sporting camaraderie that unites people from all walks nationalities and walks of life. So, let’s go back in time almost one hundred years ago to where it all began.

The very first FIFA World Cup took place in Uruguay on 13 July, 1930 (yes, the next tournament will be its centenary year), with all matches played in the country’s capital, Montevideo. Just thirteen teams participated by invitation, after seven European teams boycotted the event due to the long, costly sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, the host nation took home the first-ever World Cup in a nail biting game that resulted in Uruguay defeating Argentina 4–2 in the grand final.

Fast forward to now, and there are 48 national teams participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making it the largest tournament in football history, expanding from the traditional 32-team format. Four nations – Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan – are making their historic World Cup debuts, joining the ranks of current World Cup champions, Argentina, and former winners Brazil (who have won the cup five times), Germany (with four wins), France and Uruguay (two wins each), and England and Spain, who have taken home the World Cup one time, respectively. 

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Other notable mentions are this year’s host nations Canada, Mexico, and the U.S, and neighbouring Americas nations - Haiti and Panama. And then there’s the smaller European nations taking part – Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, and the Netherlands (who have reached the grand final three times and left empty-handed). 

Africa is well-represented this year with Algeria, Congo DR, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia, with the Asia and the Middle East contingent comprising Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The remaining South American spots are big-kickers Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, and Ecuador. Last, but certainly not least, is New Zealand and our very own Socceroos playing for Australia. Can I get an “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie?” 

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As for starpower, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has a ridiculous amount, and is probably one of the most stacked tournaments ever with the likely last appearances of legends Messi and Ronaldo, and the current football generation arriving in the likes of France's Mbappé, the American Pulisic, and Norway's blond giant, Haaland.

Whether you're an avid football fan or soccer novice, we’ve compiled an exhaustive guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup including key facts and statistics, and most importantly, where to watch it from Australia.

When Does The FIFA World Cup 2026 Start And Finish?

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 11, will see a whopping 104 total matches (up from 64 matches in previous competitions) being played over 39 days, across 16 host cities including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami in the U.S., Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, as well as Vancouver and Toronto in Canada.

So, how does the competition work? The global football competition’s new expanded layout alters the structure of the tournament slightly. The new expanded format sees twelve groups of four teams each participate in the initial round-robin phase. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to the round of 32.

Now, it starts to get stressful as the knockout stage commences. The 32 teams fight it out for the top 16, followed by a place in the top 8 in the quarterfinals, then the semifinals, and, of course, the all-important final between the last two teams standing.

When Will The FIFA World Cup 2026 Finals Be Held?

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be held on Sunday, 19 July, and will take place just outside the Big Apple at MetLife Stadium or the New York New Jersey Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

To reach that stage, the final four teams will contest the semifinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 15.

What Dates Do The Socceroos Play In The FIFA World Cup 2026?

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Australia's Socceroos are in 2026 FIFA World Cup's Group D, alongside some strong competition seen in the likes of the U.S., Turkiye, and Paraguay.

Australia's first match is against Turkiye on Sunday, June 14, at BC Place, Vancouver, followed by their second match against the American's on June 20, at the Seattle Stadium. Australia's final group stage playoff is against Paraguay on June 26, at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. With neither teams benefitting from a home-crowd advantage, the Socceroos, which are ranked 27th globally, are in good step to beat the South Americans, ranked just 41st worldwide.

If Australia qualifies for the knockout rounds, their proceeding matches depends on where they finish in Group D and the new 32-team knockout format. The Socceroos reached the top 16 for the second time in the last World Cup in Qatar four years ago, matching their best result from 2006.

As for the cup itself, punters have Australia's chances of winning the 2026 title at 500/1. Here's bloody hoping.

Who’s In The Socceroos FIFA World Cup 2026 Team?

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The Socceroos’ 2026 FIFA World Cup squad is made up of 26 players expertly selected by coach, Tony Popovic. 

Rounding out the squad are the team's goalkeepers Mathew Ryan, Paul Izzo, and Patrick Beach; defenders Milos Degenek, Alessandro Circati, Jacob Italiano, Jordan Bos, Jason Geria, Aziz Behich, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess, Lucas Herrington, Kai Trewin; midfielders Connor Metcalfe, Ajdin Hrustic, Aiden O'Neill, Cameron Devlin, Jackson Irvine, and Paul Okon-Engstler, and forwards Mathew Leckie; Mohamed Toure, Awer Mabil, Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato, Nishan Velupillay, and Tete Yengi

Some of the big names to watch are Mat Ryan - the team's veteran captain, who is heading to his fourth World Cup; Harry Souttar, the team's key centre-back and aerial threat; Nestory Irankunda, a young attacker known for his pace and creative play; Cristian Volpato, the team's new attacking option after switching to Australia from Italy; and Jackson Irvine, the Socceroo's midfield leader.

Where Can I Watch The FIFA World Cup 2026?

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While you might not be able to cheer on the Socceroos in the flesh, there are a few a sure-fire ways to watch the matches live from North America. In Australia, every match will be broadcast on SBS and SBS Viceland, and via streaming on SBS On Demand.

And if you're looking for a stadium vibe, why not join one of the many main live sites being hosted across the country, where you can watch the game and scream (or cry) along with fellow Socceroo fans? Here is a list of livestreaming sites by capital city:

Sydney: Parramatta Square, Tumbalong Park, and Allianz Stadium.

Melbourne: Federation Square, AAMI Park, and Marvel Stadium.

Brisbane: Southbank

Adelaide: The Drive

Perth: Northbridge Piazza

Darwin: Darwin Football Stadium

Better yet, the Socceroos group matches all kick off between 5am and 2pm in the Australia time zone, so there'll be no graveyard shift required to catch all the Aussie action.