As expected after the draw made them match Group A, Mexico and South Africa will play the first match of the 2026 Soccer World Cup at the Azteca stadium, in a mid-afternoon match. The defending champion, Argentina, will play two of its first phase matches at night and two at the same venue, Dallas. Spain, the big favorite, will have to travel to Guadalajara to face Uruguay.
First modification: 07/12/2025 - 01:30
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Once the draw for the groups for the 2026 North American Soccer World Cup was known, FIFA revealed this December 6 the final schedule of the tournament, which will have Mexico and South Africa as the protagonists of the opening match, for the second time in the last five World Cups.
That match will be played at 3:00 p.m. local time at the Azteca stadium, and will be a repeat of the first match of South Africa 2010, also on June 11 as on this occasion, which ended with a 1-1 draw.
On the same day, South Korea will face the winning team in the European playoff that brings together Denmark, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic and Ireland, but they will do so in Guadalajara.
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The 'Tri' travels to that city for its second match, against South Korea, and returns to the capital for its last match, against a rival to be defined. He will never visit the Monterrey headquarters.
The other two host countries begin their journey the next day. Canada plays in Toronto at 3:00 p.m. against the country that qualifies in the European playoff of Northern Ireland, Wales, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while the United States opens in prime time, at 9:00 p.m. in Los Angeles against Paraguay.
Alphonso Davies and company will play their other two games in Vancouver, while Mauricio Pochettino's men will make a stop in Seattle, also on the west coast, before returning to Los Angeles.
The path of favorites
World champion Argentina will begin the road to revalidation on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City in a night match, and then will have to travel just over 800 kilometers to reach Dallas, where it will play its last two games.
Against Austria they will have to fight in the midday heat at AT&T Stadium, but against Jordan they will once again play a prime-time match on the same stage.
If they achieve the goal of finishing first in their first round bracket, the albiceleste would play the round of 32 in Lionel Messi's playground, the Hard Rock in Miami, where they won the Copa América final and not far from the headquarters of their club, MLS champion Inter.
The European monarch, number one in the FIFA ranking and great favorite, Spain, will open the actions with two duels at the Mercedes Benz Atlanta stadium, both at noon, on June 15 against Cape Verde and on the 21st against Saudi Arabia.
After that, Luis De La Fuente's men will have to fly to Guadalajara, to close the first round against Uruguay, this time at night.
If they are first, as expected, they would have to face another long trip, this time to Los Angeles, to face the second in group J, where Argentina plays.
France, finalist of the last World Cup, will always see action on the east coast, in venues not too far from each other.
They will clash against Senegal on June 16 at mid-afternoon at the MetLife in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Then he will travel to Philadelphia to face the 23rd whoever is classified in the play-off between Suriname, Bolivia and Iraq, at 5:00 p.m. local time, and will close the 26th, again at 3:00 p.m., in the stellar duel against Erling Haaland's Norway.
If they come first in their bracket, the 'Bleus' will return to New Jersey for the round of 32, but if they come second, they will have to travel to Dallas.
England, finalist of the Euro, begins on June 17 precisely at the AT&T at 4:00 p.m. in its main duel against Croatia, and then will close with two games on the east coast: one in the middle of the afternoon in Boston against Ghana and the last at 5:00 p.m. in New Jersey against Panama.
If there are no surprises and he finishes as the leader, his first match of the direct elimination round will take him to Atlanta, to face one of the best third parties.
A look at the other Latin Americans
Ecuador, second in the South American qualifiers, will open on June 14 at 7:00 p.m. in Philadelphia against the African champion Ivory Coast. Then they will have to travel to Kansas City to face Curaçao and will close again in the east, in New Jersey, against Germany.
The Brazil of Vinicius and Raphinha will take the field for the first time on June 13 against Morocco in New Jersey, the venue of the final, at 4:00 p.m., and then they will have to travel from end to end along the east coast, with stops in Philadelphia on the 19th, to face Haiti, and in Miami, to clash against Scotland on the 24th, always in night games.
Paraguay will play its three games in California, against the United States in Los Angeles and then in San Francisco, against a qualifier from the European playoff and against Australia to close.
Uruguay, Colombia and Panama are the only Latin countries that have international trips ahead of them. The light blue team opens in Miami against Saudi Arabia, stays in that city to face Cape Verde and moves to Guadalajara to face Spain.
The coffee growers, for their part, start in Mexico City against Uzbekistan, travel to Guadalajara to play against a qualifier from the intercontinental playoff and close in Miami, in the stellar match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal.
Panama begins in Toronto, where it will play its commitments with Ghana and Croatia, and then will move to the United States, to close in New Jersey against England.
With EFE and Reuters
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