One Year to Go until the FIFA World Cup 26

June 11, 2025 marked One Year to Go until the largest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup™ in history, with 48 teams competing for the first time. The 23rd edition of the tournament will also be the first to be hosted across three countries in 16 vibrant Host Cities, uniting an entire continent through football.

In celebration of One Year to Go, all 16 Host Cities will unveil countdown clocks, featuring the city’s locally inspired Official Host City Brand. The clocks have been installed in central and iconic locations across Host Cities and will count down to the stroke of midnight on 11 June 2026, when the world’s greatest sporting event kicks off in North America. Local community events, celebrations with stakeholders and more will be held around North America, drawing members of the region into the grandest celebration of the tournament yet. Each Host City will also reveal a video that features a local celebrity or personality, highlighting what makes their city unique and inspiring.

Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth, Grapevine, and Frisco Start the Clocks

North Texas is shining in the global spotlight as FIFA announced a FIFA World Cup 26 Semi-final will be played at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) in the city of Arlington. Overall, Arlington will host nine matches of the most prestigious sports and entertainment event on earth. In March 2025, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas was announced as the official hub for the FIFA World Cup 26™ International Broadcast Centre (IBC). In addition to the nine matches and IBC, North Texas will have Team Base Camps where teams will call home for their duration of the tournament. That's where Frisco comes in. Toyota Stadium could be the tournament practice home to a delegation, which means players, staff, and fans visit and spend time throughout those six weeks. 

The North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee celebrated One Year To Go with announcements and the official countdown clock at DFW International airport. Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages has been signed as an Official World Cup 2026 Dallas Host City Supporter, and helped kick off the Community Soccer Equipment, Cleats, and Shoe Drive by donating 200 soccer balls to the cause.

The North Texas FWC Organizing Committee is asking the North Texas region to donate new or gently used soccer gear to support youth and families across the region. All donations are encouraged to be made at participating Kroger and YMCA locations across North Texas. Soccer equipment and cleats will be distributed to local nonprofits supporting underserved youth. Shoes will be collected and distributed by Soles4Souls, to support individuals and communities around the world to help fight poverty and support global sustainability efforts.

North Texas FWC Organizing Committee Soccer Equipment, Cleats & Shoe Drive Participating Locations:

Kroger

• Kroger, 4241 Capitol Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
• Kroger, 752 Wynnewood Dr, Dallas, TX 75224
• Kroger, 2580 E Arkansas Ln, Arlington, TX 76014
• Kroger, 3120 S University Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76109
• Kroger, 3205 Main Street, Frisco, TX 75034
• Kroger, 7500 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX 75034
• Kroger, 313 E Pioneer Pkwy, Grand Prairie, TX 75051
• Kroger, 3612 N Belt Line Rd, Irving, TX 75062
• Kroger, 7505 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75063
• Kroger, 4620 SH 121, Lewisville, TX 75056
• Kroger, 2671 Little Elm Park, Little Elm, TX 75068
• Kroger, 2721 Sam Rayburn Highway, Melissa, TX 75454
• Kroger, 525 N Galloway Ave, Mesquite, TX 75149
• Kroger, 9617 Coit Rd, Plano, TX 75025
• Kroger, 1250 N. Preston Rd, Prosper, TX 75078

YMCA

• T. Boone Pickens YMCA, 601 N Akard St, Dallas, TX 75201
• Moody Family YMCA in the Park Cities, 6000 Preston Rd, Dallas, TX 75205

Keep up with details on Dallas activities at dallasfwc26.com.

Largest Tournament Yet

The tournament will kick off on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Mexico City With 48 teams. The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the largest and most inclusive edition to date Taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, next year’s event marks the first FIFA World Cup™ to be hosted across three countries. The 2026 edition is expected to welcome 6.5 million fans to stadiums across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States – truly uniting the continent and globe through football.

Teams

As of One Year to Go, the first 13 teams have been confirmed for this historic event. Alongside Canada, Mexico and the USA, who have qualified automatically as co-hosts, 10 additional national teams have recently punched their tickets – including current champions Argentina and first-time qualifiers Jordan and Uzbekistan, as well as Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, IR Iran, Japan, Korea Republic and New Zealand.

The remaining 35 teams will be confirmed through March 2026. Group stage matchups will be determined by the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26™, which is due to be held in December 2025.

Economic Impact

Economic impact According to OpenEconomics, the tournament could help drive up to USD 40.9 billion in gross domestic product, deliver USD 8.28 billion in social benefits and assist in the creation of nearly 824,000 full-time equivalent jobs globally.

Tickets

Tickets for the FIFA World Cup 26 will go on sale to the general public in the coming months. Select ticket-inclusive hospitality packages are already available. Additional hospitality packages, including for matches in Canada and Mexico, are set to go on sale in July. Fans can learn more at FIFA.com/tickets, the official and preferred source of tickets for the tournament. Those interested in volunteering can join the one million members of the FIFA Volunteer Community in advance of the program launch at FIFA.com/volunteers.