The full schedule for the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup

A day after Donald Trump dominated the star-studded draw event in Washington, FIFA confirmed the complete fixture schedule for the first 48-team tournament on Saturday, laying out the route to victory in the 2026 World Cup.

Lionel Messi's Argentina, the current champions, will start their championship defense against Algeria in Group J in Kansas City on June 16, according to the ceremony hosted by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday. After that, they'll play Jordan and Austria in Dallas.

Champions of Europe The covered, air-conditioned stadium in Atlanta will host Spain's opening two Group H games against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, two newcomers. After that, they will go to Guadalajara, Mexico, to play Uruguay.

On June 17, England will play their first match against Croatia at the covered stadium in Dallas. The rest of their Group L matches will take place in the northeastern United States.

On June 23, the 1966 champions will play Ghana in Boston. On June 27, they will play Panama in MetLife Stadium, which is located just outside of New York City. They have to travel to Atlanta for a last-32 match on July 1 if they win their group.

France, who won in 2018 and finished second in 2022, will play all three of their Group I games in the northeastern United States. They will play Norway in Boston and Senegal at MetLife Stadium, respectively, after playing an intercontinental play-off winner in Philadelphia.

On June 13, Brazil, who won the previous World Cup held in the US in 1994, will play Morocco in their first Group C match at the MetLife Stadium.

After that, Carlo Ancelotti's team will play Haiti in Philadelphia on June 19 and then Scotland in Miami on June 24. This will be the fifth World Cup match between the two nations.

For the first time, the draw was designed to keep the four top-ranked countries apart; assuming all of them win their groups, Spain, Argentina, France, and England cannot clash before the semi-finals.

"Can't get carried away"

But the route to that stage appears dangerous, with a further knockout round now coming after the group phase.

England may play co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City in the round of 16, Brazil in the quarterfinals, and Argentina in the semifinals if all of the top seeds win their groups.

In addition, Messi's Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal might face off in the quarterfinals, and France and Germany could face off in the round of sixteen.

"You cannot get carried away with building your way with who you are going to meet if you win the group, if you are second or whatever," Tuchel said on Friday. "You just focus on the group, this is what you do."

The competition, which will take place in the USA, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, will feature 16 more teams than the 32 participating countries in 2022.

The majority of the games, including the championship game at MetLife Stadium, will take place in the United States, while two of the 16 locations will be in Canada and three in Mexico.

At the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico will meet South Africa in the first game, which is a rematch of the 2010 inaugural encounter.

Since taking office, ties between the host countries have been tumultuous, but Trump dismissed it on Friday.

"We've worked closely with those two countries, and the coordination and friendship and relationship has been outstanding," Trump declared on stage following Infantino's presentation of the first FIFA peace trophy.

"Like 104 Super Bowls"

Portugal will play Uzbekistan, Colombia, and a play-off winner in Group E, while Germany will face Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Caribbean minnows Curacao in their opening match in Houston.

With Paraguay, Australia, and a European play-off winner in Group D, the United States had a respectable draw.

"The World Cup final is our first match. The World Cup final must be the second. According to USA coach Mauricio Pochettino, "that is the mentality, the mindset that we want to build."

The top two teams from each group move on to the round of 32, where they are joined by the top eight third-place teams.

"It will be the greatest World Cup ever," declared Infantino. "This is like 104 Super Bowls in one month -- this is the magnitude of what we are organizing."