Sport24.az
Today, the FIFA World Cup starts. According to Sport24.az, for the first time in the history of the World Cup, 48 teams will compete for the championship title.
The opening match will be held in Mexico City, where the Mexican national team will face South Africa at the "Estadio Azteca" stadium. The first match of the tournament will start at 23:00 Baku time.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in 16 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, at 16 stadiums.
Note that the 48 teams are divided into 12 groups:
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Sweden, Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Sweden
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The group stage will last until June 27. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the playoffs. The round of 32 will take place from June 28 to July 3, the round of 16 from July 4 to 7, the quarterfinals from July 9 to 11, and the semifinals from July 14 to 15. The third-place match will be held on July 18 in Miami Gardens, and the final on July 19 in East Rutherford.
