The 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place in Canada, USA and Mexico. Select games of the international soccer tournament are at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

This article contains the following information about the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

When and Where? | Schedule and Teams | FIFA Fan Festivals | Other Information

2026 FIFA World Cup Soccer in Vancouver

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest international soccer competition in the world. The men’s tournament takes place every four years. Argentina won the 2022 edition in Qatar. The next FIFA World Cup takes place in 2026 with games in Vancouver and 15 other cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The 2026 tournament is particularly special for a number of reasons. It’s the first time that the FIFA World Cup is happening in three different countries in the same year. It’s also the very first time that Canada is hosting the tournament.

Even more importantly, 2026 features 48 teams rather than the usual 32. This is the first time since 1998 that the World Cup has expanded in size. There will be 12 groups of 4 teams each, with the top 2 from each group as well as the 8 best third-place teams advancing to the knockout round.

When and Where?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11th until July 26th. Games in Vancouver take place between June 13th and July 7th.

BC Place Stadium hosts all of the games happening in Vancouver. The venue is located at 777 Pacific Boulevard. It’s an impressive building that also hosted nine matches during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. It’s also home to the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer and BC Lions Canadian football teams.

Japan vs Switzerland Players — FIFA Women in 2015

FIFA 2026 Schedule and Teams

As always, host countries are automatically qualified for the FIFA World Cup. This means Canada, Mexico and the United States are participating. Other teams have to compete to earn their spots through the World Cup Qualifying cycle.

The tournament format includes 104 games in 2026. Most of the games take place in the United States. However, 13 of the games are happening in Canada, split between Vancouver and Toronto.

Games taking place in Vancouver are listed below. As of early 2024, teams and match times are to be confirmed.

Group Stage Games

Saturday, June 13th, 2026 – Teams TBC
Thursday, June 18th, 2026 – Canada vs TBC
Sunday, June 21st, 2026 – Teams TBC
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 – Canada vs TBC
Friday, June 26th, 2026 – Teams TBC

Round of 32 Game

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026 – Teams TBC

Round of 16 Game

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 – Teams TBC

Fans cannot yet purchase advance tickets for the games. Those interested in attending can register on the FIFA website to receive updates on applying for tickets. Typically, there are caps on how many people from each country can receive tickets, and they are distributed using a lottery system. Competition will be fierce!

Cameroonian FIFA Soccer Team Huddle — Cameroon at FIFA Womens Game in 2015

FIFA Fan Festivals

During each FIFA World Cup, host cities offer viewing events for everyone. 2026 is no exception.

The 2026 FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver will be held at the PNE from June 11th to July 19. The more than a month long festival will include screenings of all the matches as well as live entertainment, games, food and other fun activities.

The centrepiece of the festival is the new PNE Ampitheatre currently being constructed at the fairgrounds. Scheduled to open to the public in 2026, the ampitheatre includes 10,000 seats, a massive screen for movies and other broadcasts (like soccer games!) and a roof covering that keeps the seats dry but retains an open-air feeling.

Details for what the Fan Festival will look like are TBC, but organizers are expecting up to 15,000 people to stop by each day. For the latest information check out the Vancouver FIFA 2026 website.