The World Cup 2026
The biggest tournament in football’s history runs from 11 June to 19 July, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Forty-eight teams, sixteen cities, and a month that will reshape how the world watches the game.
Lana covers it from here: the matches that matter, where to watch them in the UAE, and the business moving behind the tournament.
Kickoff: Mexico v South Africa
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Latest from the tournament
The groups
Forty-eight teams, twelve groups. The top two from each group advance, joined by the eight best third-placed sides.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Czechia |
| B | Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| D | USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye |
| E | Germany, Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador |
| F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| G | Belgium, Egypt, IR Iran, New Zealand |
| H | Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| K | Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
Conditions in the host cities
Live weather across the three host nations, for fans planning the trip.
39 days · 48 teams · 104 matches
Why it matters here
The World Cup lands in the middle of a UAE summer, which means late nights, packed venues and a city that reorganises itself around kickoff times. Brands are already moving. Broadcasters are locking rights, fan zones are being planned across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the region's appetite for the game shows no sign of cooling.
This is the tournament read through a UAE lens: who is playing, who is watching, and what it means for the people building their lives here.
Forty-eight teams across three host nations make this the largest World Cup ever staged. For a city that runs on global connection, it is a month that belongs here as much as anywhere.
Watching from the UAE
The tournament plays out on Gulf time across June and July. Here is how to follow it from the Emirates, from the kickoff windows to where the matches will be on.
Kickoff times
Most group matches fall in the evening and late night Gulf Standard Time. The opener, Mexico against South Africa, kicks off at 23:00 GST on 11 June. Knockout fixtures in the United States run into the early hours, so expect late nights through July.
Where to watch
beIN Sports is the official UAE broadcaster, and every game streams live through its app, TOD. A TOD subscription is required to watch. For the big nights, hotels, sports bars and fan zones across Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be showing matches on the big screen.
The teams to follow
A record eight Arab nations have qualified: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq and debutants Jordan. Morocco carry the strongest pedigree after their semi-final run in 2022, while Jordan reach the World Cup for the first time. Plenty for the region to cheer.