# 2026 in association football
**2026 in association football** is dominated by the 2026 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup), the first men's World Cup co-hosted by three countries (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) and the first with 48 teams and 104 matches, played from 11 June to 19 July 2026.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html) The year also spans the conclusion of the 2025/26 European club season, the start of the 2026/27 season across the confederations, and a set of law changes introduced by the [International Football Association Board](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-football-association-board) (IFAB).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| World Cup dates | 11 June to 19 July 2026, a 39-day schedule across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States[2](https://www.amnesty.lu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IOR1008372026_REPORT_Final_Web.pdf) |
| World Cup scale | 48 teams and 104 matches, the largest FIFA men's World Cup to date[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html) |
| Opening and final | Mexico versus South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, on 11 June; final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on 19 July[2](https://www.amnesty.lu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IOR1008372026_REPORT_Final_Web.pdf) |
| 2025/26 Champions League | Won by Paris in Budapest on 30 May 2026[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a0-1f71bdf70a9a-b6067bd647f2-1000--2026-european-football-calendar-dates-for-all-uefa-competiti/) |
| 2025/26 other UEFA finals | Aston Villa won the Europa League (Istanbul, 20 May); Crystal Palace won the Conference League (Leipzig, 27 May); Barcelona won the Women's Champions League (Oslo, 23 May)[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a0-1f71bdf70a9a-b6067bd647f2-1000--2026-european-football-calendar-dates-for-all-uefa-competiti/) |
| 2026/27 Champions League | 72nd season, third under the league phase format; kicked off 7 July 2026, final at the Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid, on 5 June 2027[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final/) |
| CAF club finals | TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup 2026/27 finals scheduled for 9–31 May 2027[5](https://www.cafonline.com/news/caf-announces-match-calendar-for-totalenergies-caf-champions-league-2026-27-and-totalenergies-caf-confederation-cup-2026-27-seasons/) |
## FIFA World Cup 2026
The tournament opened on 11 June 2026 at the [Estadio Azteca](https://www.edgepedia.org/estadio-azteca) in Mexico City, where Mexico played South Africa, and reached its finale at [MetLife Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/metlife-stadium) in New Jersey on 19 July.[2](https://www.amnesty.lu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IOR1008372026_REPORT_Final_Web.pdf) The 104-game schedule was distributed across 16 host cities in three countries, with the United States hosting 78 of the matches and Mexico 13 (five in Mexico City, four in [Guadalajara](https://www.edgepedia.org/guadalajara), and four in Monterrey).[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html)
**Visa and security issues.** Iran's participation was placed in doubt in March 2026 amid an escalating Middle East conflict, with FIFA holding Iraq next in line as replacement.[6](https://apnews.com/article/8882f12c6e9cb3f3dc1306fd2dd9a208) Iran ultimately played, with its group matches in the United States against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, but the team trained in Tijuana, Mexico, after moving its base from [Tucson, Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/tucson-arizona); several delegation members, including federation president Mehdi Taj, did not receive US visas.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html) Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was refused entry to the US on 6 June and was confirmed by FIFA as unable to officiate at the tournament.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html) Citizens of several countries, including Algeria, Cape Verde, and Tunisia, had been required to pay entry deposits of $5,000 to $15,000 from summer 2025, a measure eased on 13 May 2026.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html)
**Heat and health.** A study by the NGO Climate Central, published on 3 June 2026, estimated that 97 of the tournament's 104 matches were at significant risk of being played in temperatures above 28 °C, a level it described as putting the health and performance of players at risk.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html) Health authorities in all three host countries also monitored a resurgence of measles, a disease present in the region since 2025 with continued acceleration observed in early 2026 according to the Pan American Health Organization.[1](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html)
## 2025/26 club season finals
The European club season concluded in May 2026 with a run of finals. Paris won the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) at the [Puskás Aréna](https://www.edgepedia.org/puskas-arena) in Budapest on 30 May, Aston Villa won the [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league) at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul on 20 May, and Crystal Palace won the UEFA Conference League in Leipzig on 27 May.[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a0-1f71bdf70a9a-b6067bd647f2-1000--2026-european-football-calendar-dates-for-all-uefa-competiti/) In the women's game, Barcelona won the UEFA Women's Champions League in Oslo on 23 May, and Häcken took the UEFA Women's Europa Cup.[3](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a0-1f71bdf70a9a-b6067bd647f2-1000--2026-european-football-calendar-dates-for-all-uefa-competiti/) Aston Villa's Europa League title followed a Champions League quarter-final run in 2024/25 and secured the club a place in the 2026/27 Champions League league phase.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-2171a88881a0-c70193b972c6-1000--meet-the-2026-27-champions-league-league-phase-teams/)
## The 2026/27 season
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League, the competition's 72nd season and its third under the league phase format, kicked off on 7 July 2026 and concludes with the final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on Saturday 5 June 2027, the second time that stadium has held the final after Liverpool's 2-0 win over [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham) there in 2019.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final/) The league phase runs over eight matchdays from 8–10 September 2026 to 27 January 2027, with 18 matches played simultaneously on the final matchday.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final/) • [8](https://it.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-21770478ff72-f4e3f5106bbe-1000--fase-campionato-di-champions-league-calendario-per-squadra/) England supplied five league phase clubs (Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United), Spain five (Atlético de Madrid, Barcelona, Real Betis, Real Madrid, and [Villarreal](https://www.edgepedia.org/villarreal)), and Italy four (Como, Inter, Napoli, and Roma).[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final/)
Early league phase results included Aston Villa's 6-0 win over Fenerbahçe at [Villa Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/villa-park), Roma's 3-4 home defeat to Real Madrid, and Manchester City's 2-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 2, played on 13 and 14 October 2026.[9](https://www.rte.ie/sport/results/soccer/champions-league/47760/results/)
**Elsewhere.** The Concacaf Champions Cup featured 27 clubs competing for a place in the 2029 [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup).[10](https://www.concacaf.com/competitions/champions-cup/news/concacaf-confirma-fechas-del-sorteo-y-la-final-y-detalles-clave-de-la-copa-de-campeones-concacaf-2026) CAF scheduled the finals of its two club competitions, the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and the Confederation Cup, for the period 9–31 May 2027.[5](https://www.cafonline.com/news/caf-announces-match-calendar-for-totalenergies-caf-champions-league-2026-27-and-totalenergies-caf-confederation-cup-2026-27-seasons/) In England, the 2026/27 EFL season's Match Round 6 was split across two midweek dates in September to give Championship clubs facing European opponents in the Carabao Cup a free date for each fixture.[11](https://www.efl.com/news/2026/june/25/the-2026-27-efl-fixtures-are-here/)
## Law and technology changes
The IFAB's 140th Annual General Meeting addressed the Laws of the Game 2026/27, including additional VAR-reviewable incidents, an update on semi-automated offside technology, and the Football Video Support trial.[12](https://downloads.theifab.com/downloads/annual-general-meeting-2026-agenda?l=en) IFAB also opened discussion on extending VAR review to uncertain corner kicks, situations where a second yellow card leads to a dismissal, and cards shown to the wrong player.[13](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/n1QyMo/nya-regler-infor-fotbolls-vm-2026)
## References
1. [2026 World Cup: The geopolitical, security and climate challenges facing the massive tournament, Le Monde (11 June 2026)](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/sports/article/2026/06/11/2026-world-cup-the-geopolitical-security-and-climate-challenges-facing-the-massive-tournament_6754345_9.html)
2. [2026 FIFA World Cup: Football on a different scale, Amnesty International report](https://www.amnesty.lu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IOR1008372026_REPORT_Final_Web.pdf)
3. [2026 European football calendar: Dates for all UEFA competitions, draws and events, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/02a0-1f71bdf70a9a-b6067bd647f2-1000--2026-european-football-calendar-dates-for-all-uefa-competiti/)
4. [2026/27 Champions League: Teams, dates, draws, format, final, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a6-20d57cfcd03e-407c22a7f465-1000--2026-27-champions-league-teams-dates-draws-format-final/)
5. [CAF announces Match Calendar for TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2026-27 and Confederation Cup 2026-27 seasons, CAF](https://www.cafonline.com/news/caf-announces-match-calendar-for-totalenergies-caf-champions-league-2026-27-and-totalenergies-caf-confederation-cup-2026-27-seasons/)
6. [Iran's World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/8882f12c6e9cb3f3dc1306fd2dd9a208)
7. [Meet the 2026/27 Champions League league phase teams, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-2171a88881a0-c70193b972c6-1000--meet-the-2026-27-champions-league-league-phase-teams/)
8. [Fase campionato di Champions League: calendario e risultati per squadra, UEFA.com](https://it.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/02a8-21770478ff72-f4e3f5106bbe-1000--fase-campionato-di-champions-league-calendario-per-squadra/)
9. [Latest Champions League results, RTÉ Soccer](https://www.rte.ie/sport/results/soccer/champions-league/47760/results/)
10. [Concacaf confirms 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup draw and final dates and key details, Concacaf](https://www.concacaf.com/competitions/champions-cup/news/concacaf-confirma-fechas-del-sorteo-y-la-final-y-detalles-clave-de-la-copa-de-campeones-concacaf-2026)
11. [The 2026/27 EFL Fixtures are here, English Football League](https://www.efl.com/news/2026/june/25/the-2026-27-efl-fixtures-are-here/)
12. [IFAB 140 AGM agenda](https://downloads.theifab.com/downloads/annual-general-meeting-2026-agenda?l=en)
13. [Nya regler inför VM i Nordamerika 2026, Aftonbladet](https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/a/n1QyMo/nya-regler-infor-fotbolls-vm-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Country-year season overviews*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license