Match Previews
World Cup 2026 Opening Match — What to Watch
Estadio Azteca opens the 2026 tournament on June 12. Here's the storyline, the form guide, and the kickoff time wherever you watch.
Which group has the toughest path, which is the upset incubator, and where Japan, USA, England, and Brazil sit at kickoff.
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Estadio Azteca opens the 2026 tournament on June 12. Here's the storyline, the form guide, and the kickoff time wherever you watch.
New 48-team format adds a Round of 32 before the traditional Round of 16. Knockout schedule (Jun 29 - Jul 20), path-to-final analysis, top contenders, dark horses, and Japan's hypothetical run.
Complete World Cup 2026 schedule with kickoff times auto-adjusted to your timezone. All 48 nations, 12 groups, knockout bracket, plus how to subscribe via Google / Apple / Outlook calendar.
Japan's road to World Cup 2026: full Group F schedule (Netherlands, Tunisia, Sweden), key players to watch, and the Samurai Blue's pursuit of a first quarterfinal.
Region-by-region World Cup 2026 broadcast guide: Fox + Telemundo (US), BBC + ITV (UK), TSN (Canada), Optus + SBS (Australia), and more. VPN options for fans abroad.
学生限定の年一括プラン。年 16,000 円、月割換算で実質 1,333 円。
2026/7/20 までの加入で最初の 3 ヶ月が月 980 円。初年度総額 26,340 円。サッカー特化プランで W杯 2026 全 104 試合 + Jリーグ + 欧州主要リーグを網羅。
2026/4/21〜8/30 期間限定加入のサッカー特化プラン。月 2,600 円、年総額 31,200 円。
DAZN 通常プラン。月 4,200 円。サッカー以外のスポーツも視聴したい人向け。
年一括 32,000 円。月割換算で実質 2,667 円。
ABEMA とまとめて契約できる DAZN プラン。月 3,800 円 (2026/1/30 料金改定)。
年一括 30,000 円。月割換算で実質 2,500 円。
DMM プレミアム同梱で月 3,480 円。DMM のアニメ・映画も見放題に。
ドコモ料金プラン契約者は月 6 円で DAZN 見放題。
au 料金プラン契約者は 0 円で DAZN 見放題。
現地観戦で USA / メキシコ / カナダに行った日本人向け。日本サーバー経由で DAZN・NHK 配信を視聴可能。
Group-by-group preview of the 2026 World Cup draw. 12 groups, top-2 + 8 best third-place teams advance. Group of death analysis and deep coverage of Group F (Japan, Netherlands, Tunisia, Sweden).
Subscribe to a live World Cup 2026 calendar feed that auto-updates when fixtures shift. Step-by-step setup for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook.
World Cup 2026 is the first 48-team tournament — 12 groups of 4, 104 matches, three host countries (USA, Canada, Mexico). The group stage runs June 12 – June 27, then a full week off before the round of 32 begins on July 4. The expanded format changes how groups feel and which teams scrape through.
48 teams play 12 groups of 4. Top two from each group advance — that's 24. The eight best 3rd-place finishers also advance, totaling 32 → R32 → R16 → QF → SF → Final. The result: more group-stage drama, less "dead rubber" 3rd match, and the elite teams have an extra knockout round to navigate before the final.
Read the full 48-team format explainer →
| Country | DB-verified key players |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Messi (capt), Lautaro, Alvarez, Enzo, Mac Allister |
| Brazil | Vinícius, Rodrygo, Endrick, Marquinhos, Casemiro |
| France | Mbappé, Dembélé, Doué, Tchouaméni, Saliba |
| Spain | Yamal, Pedri, Rodri, Cubarsí, Nico Williams |
| England | Kane, Saka, Bellingham, Rice, Foden |
| Germany | Musiala, Wirtz, Kimmich, Havertz, Rüdiger |
| Portugal | Ronaldo (last dance), B. Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leão |
| USA | Pulisic, McKennie, T. Adams, Balogun (Host) |
| Mexico | Hirving Lozano, R. Jiménez (Host) |
| Canada | Davies, Jonathan David, S. Larin (Host) |
Until the draw (December 2025) is known, projected based on FIFA rankings + form:
| Days | Match pattern |
|---|---|
| June 12 | Mexico opens — Mexico City, Estadio Azteca |
| June 13-14 | All groups MD1 |
| June 18-20 | MD2 (every team rotates kickoff windows) |
| June 23-27 | MD3 — final matches in each group simultaneously in same window |
| June 28 - July 3 | Rest week, R32 prep |
The simultaneous MD3 matches are critical — the 48-team format means goal difference + head-to-head between 3rd-place finishers across groups matters more than ever.
| Channel | What it covers |
|---|---|
| NHK | All 104 matches live (terrestrial + BS) |
| NHK BS4K | 4K simulcast for selected matches |
| DAZN | Highlights + supplementary feeds |
Kickoff times (JST):
Mexico matches are 2 hours earlier (Central Time → 1-hour offset behind EDT in summer), so a 16:00 CT kickoff = 06:00 JST.
Morocco, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia all beat top-15 teams in 2022. The 48-team format means more "small nation" entries — does that water down the standard or produce more shock results?
Last World Cup at 39 — Argentina coach Scaloni said in March 2026 the plan is to manage minutes, not "Messi every minute." Expect 60-70 minutes per group game.
18 years old, Spain's most important attacking player. Whether he can do at the World Cup what he did at EURO 2024 (Best Young Player) will define his Ballon d'Or arc for 5 years.
Endrick, Cubarsí, Désiré Doué — players born in 2005-2007 starting a World Cup. Pelé was 17 in 1958; we're watching the next generation's arrival.
Q. How can a team advance from the group as a third-place finisher? A. The 8 best of 12 third-place teams advance, ranked by points → goal difference → goals scored → head-to-head if applicable.
Q. Are knockout matches still single-leg? A. Yes — single match each round. Tied at 90 → 30 minutes extra → penalty shootout.
Q. How long is the tournament? A. 39 days total (June 11 - July 19, 2026). Group stage 16 days, knockouts 22 days.
Q. What's the prize money? A. Estimated $400M total (record), with the winner receiving $60M+. The participation payment alone is around $8M per nation.
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