The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ has entered its final two weeks as teams begin to arrive in North America, prepare for friendly games and get in prime condition for the greatest show on the planet.

On Thursday, 11 June, history will be made at Mexico City Stadium when the first of a record 104 matches kicks off – marking the beginning of the first FIFA World Cup™ to feature 48 teams across three host countries. But the story of FIFA World Cup 2026™ will also be written in many different locations across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“In addition to the 16 host cities, we will have 25 communities who will be part, an integral part, of the FIFA World Cup because they will be hosting some of the participating teams,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“In the north, for example, we have New Tecumseth. Or in the south, we'll have Cancún. Or on the Pacific Coast in the west, Portland. On the Atlantic Coast in the east, Boca Raton. And all of these communities and many, many others will embrace, will welcome, and will unite the world,” added the FIFA President.

The 48 Team Base Camp training sites were confirmed this week, with two teams to be based in Canada throughout the tournament, seven in Mexico, and the remaining 39 in the United States.

The journey to North America is already under way for a number of squads. Australia were among the first on US soil, with the Socceroos training in Sarasota as they prepare for a sixth consecutive FIFA World Cup – a run that includes a Group D fixture against co-hosts the United States.

Uzbekistan – one of four sides set to make their FIFA World Cup debut in 2026 – have also arrived, touching down in New York this week to begin their pre-camp. Guided by FIFA World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, the White Wolves will face Canada in Edmonton and the Netherlands in New York in warm-up friendlies before their tournament opener against Colombia in Mexico City.

New Zealand, Senegal, Egypt, Scotland, Czechia, England and Jordan are among the next wave of squads due to arrive for their pre-camps, while Qatar, South Africa, Argentina, Ecuador and Australia will be among the first five sides to check in to their respective Team Base Camps.

Before a ball is kicked in anger at the FIFA World Cup 2026, North America will play host to a string of warm-up friendlies – and many of these matches will be staged in cities and towns that will not feature as host city venues, extending the tournament’s reach even further.

All three co-host nations are in action. After facing Uzbekistan on Monday, Canada hosts the Republic of Ireland in Montreal on 5 June. Mexico takes on Australia in Pasadena this Saturday, with a further friendly against Serbia to follow in Toluca on 4 June. The United States, meanwhile, welcome Senegal to Charlotte this Sunday before a high-profile meeting with Germany in Chicago on 6 June.

A host of other cities across the continent will also stage fixtures, including Auburn, Bridgeview, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, College Station, East Hartford, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Provo, Puebla, San Antonio, San Diego, Saint Louis and Tampa – bringing world-class football to communities the length and breadth of the region well before the opening match.

At their Team Base Camps, squads will be engaged in a range of activities beyond the all-important training as the tournament countdown draws near.

Players selected for the tournament will be digitally scanned – a process that takes approximately one second and captures highly accurate body-part dimensions. The resulting 3D models will be integrated into the host broadcast, allowing the video assistant referee (VAR) system to present offside and onside decisions in a more realistic and visually engaging way for fans in stadiums and viewers around the world.

Teams will also complete pre-tournament content capture sessions, generating imagery and graphics for media partners, for in-stadium infotainment, and for use across FIFA’s and the respective teams’ official digital and social media channels.

An estimated 75,000 fans will have the opportunity to watch the participating teams train at their Team Base Camp sites during the first two weeks of June, thanks to FIFA’s Community Training Session initiative – which is designed to ensure that children get the chance to see the stars of the game locally, before those players take centre stage on the global stage.

Integrated into several of these sessions will be FIFA’s Be Active social impact campaign. First rolled out at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Be Active is a fun initiative aimed at encouraging everyone – especially young children – to move more and be more physically active as per the guidelines endorsed by the World Health Organization.

With leagues across the globe concluding or pausing, all eyes are turning to North America. Football’s popularity in the region is accelerating at pace – particularly among younger generations and digital audiences – and the weeks ahead, as squads touch down, friendlies are contested and communities welcome their adopted national teams, will only help to amplify that momentum.

From Thursday, 11 June to Sunday, 19 July 2026, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will unite billions of people around the world. And as the FIFA President made clear, the moment is almost here: “Excitement is building in an incredible fashion. This will the biggest, the most inclusive, the greatest FIFA World Cup ever”.