2026 World Cup guide: Full TV schedule, players to watch and team breakdowns - BERITAJA

After a break of much than 3 decades, the FIFA World Cup returns to North America wherever it will beryllium shared by the continent’s 3 countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It will beryllium the largest and about analyzable tourney successful history, pinch 48 teams playing 104 games successful 16 cities complete 39 days.

But it hasn’t been without its controversies. High summons prices and exorbitant proscription and parking fees person angered fans and drawn the attraction of politicians and authorities attorneys general. Visa restrictions person blocked residents from 4 qualifying nations from entering the U.S. and fearfulness of immigration agents has discouraged fans of different countries from coming.

For the U.S. and Mexico the extremity is to get beyond the quarterfinals, the high-water people for some countries successful the modern era. Canada, meanwhile, will play successful its 3rd World Cup looking for its first win.

The tourney will footwear disconnected pinch Mexico facing South Africa successful Mexico City connected June 11, a rematch of the 2010 opener successful Johannesburg, which was played connected the aforesaid day 16 years earlier. That lucifer ended successful a draw, and South Africa went connected to go the first big state to beryllium eliminated successful the group stage. With Mexico welcoming the World Cup for a grounds 3rd clip alongside South Africa and South Korea (2002), this is the only group pinch 3 erstwhile big countries.

On insubstantial this is 1 of the weaker groups, pinch Switzerland being the only squad that has precocious beyond the group stage. Canada, playing successful the World Cup for the 3rd time, and Qatar, making its 2nd appearance, some are looking for their first affirmative results successful the tournament, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1 World Cup triumph since becoming an independent state successful 1992. That should make the conflict for 2nd spot and an automatic berth successful the knockout rounds an absorbing one.

With No. 6 Brazil and eighth-ranked Morocco, this is the only group pinch 2 teams classed among the world’s apical 10 by FIFA. Brazil is besides a five-time champion, though its past title came successful 2002, while Morocco made a historical tally to the semifinals successful Qatar. But the value falls disconnected dramatically aft that, pinch Scotland and Haiti some playing successful a World Cup for the first clip this century.

The FIFA world rankings propose this is the about evenly matched of the 12 groups pinch 3 teams — the U.S. astatine 16, Turkey astatine 22 and Australia astatine 27 — each classed wrong 11 places of 1 another. And Paraguay, astatine 40, is not acold behind. Only the apical 2 finishers are assured of advancing to the knockout stages, truthful a value squad will beryllium near behind. Paraguay has a large advantage successful position of travel, playing each its games successful California.

Another top-heavy group led by Germany, a four-time World Cup champion. After that, only Ecuador has precocious beyond the group shape — and it did that conscionable erstwhile successful 4 tries. Group play will unfastened pinch a David-and-Goliath matchup betwixt Germany and Curacao, playing its first World Cup game. But if Curacao could rebound pinch a affirmative consequence against Ecuador successful its 2nd game, it could beforehand to the knockout stages and statesman penning the Cinderella communicative of the tournament.

The Netherlands and Japan are the people of this group. If some teams beryllium that connected the field, Sweden and Tunisia would beryllium near to conflict for 1 of 8 third-place tickets to the knockout round; those 2 teams meet connected the first time of group play successful Monterrey, Mexico. The Dutch are the only squad that won’t transverse the separator successful the first round, playing each 3 of their games successful Texas and Missouri.

Belgium didn’t make it retired of the group shape successful Qatar aft reaching the semifinals 4 years earlier. That shouldn’t beryllium a problem this twelvemonth since the Red Devils are the only squad successful their group classed successful the apical 20 and that has precocious retired of the information of 16. Travel could beryllium a problem, though, since Belgium opens successful Seattle, plays its 2nd crippled successful Inglewood, past travels backmost to the Pacific Northwest. The warfare successful the Middle East formed Iran’s information successful doubt; if it plays here, Iran will look Egypt connected the last time of group play, apt pinch a spot successful the knockout information astatine stake.

This is the only group pinch 2 erstwhile champions successful Spain, the 2010 victor erstwhile it hit the Netherlands for its first world title, and Uruguay, whose 2 titles came successful 1930 and 1950. Spain has returned to its title pedigree and is among the tourney favorites, while a rebuilding Uruguay, not truthful much. Still, the South Americans should person an easy way done to the knockout rounds pinch Cape Verde, 1 of 4 World Cup debutants, and Saudi Arabia near to conflict for 3rd spot and a imaginable wild-card spot successful the information of 32.

France comes to the tourney classed No. 1 successful the world and chasing a 3rd consecutive travel to a World Cup final. Making it location would bring the tourney afloat circle for France, since it will commencement group play astatine MetLife Stadium successful East Rutherford, N.J., tract of July’s title game. Its first crippled against No. 14 Senegal — a longtime French colony — will beryllium its toughest successful group play. However Norway, pinch extremity instrumentality Erling Haaland making his World Cup debut, surely will beryllium worthy watching.

Arabia’s triumph complete Argentina successful the group stage. That didn’t derail Lionel Messi and Co., since they went connected to triumph the World Cup. But they’ll person to defender against complacency successful the first information again since they’ve been drawn into 1 of the the weaker groups alongside tourney debutant Jordan and 2 different countries, Algeria and Austria, that person mixed for 1 World Cup triumph since 1990.

Portugal, a quarterfinalist successful Qatar, and No. 13 Colombia are the only teams successful this group successful the apical 45 successful the latest FIFA rankings, truthful their matchup connected the last time of group play apt will determine who advances arsenic the apical team. Of the 4 teams, only Portugal will play each 3 group games successful the U.S., walking conscionable 960 miles successful the first round. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, connected the different hand, will recreation about 2½ times arsenic far, playing successful Mexico and the U.S., pinch games successful 3 clip zones.

England made it to the last 4 successful Russia and the last 8 successful Qatar, but this apt will beryllium the last go-around for a roster led by Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and Jordan Pickford. Their first crippled pinch No. 11 Croatia successful suburban Dallas will spell a agelong measurement toward determining who wins the group. England is the only squad successful the foursome that won’t play a first-round crippled successful Canada, but aft opening successful the air-conditioned comfortableness of AT&T Stadium, it’ll play 2 day games successful the punishing power and humidity of a New England summer.

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Kevin Baxter writes about shot and lucky for the Los Angeles Times. He has covered 8 World Cups, six Olympic Games, 7 World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to 3 Pulitzer Prize-winning bid astatine The Times and Miami Herald. An effort he wrote successful 5th people was voted champion successful the class. He has a cool dog.