48 nations, 104 matches, a tournament without precedent
Una vez cada cuatro años, el fútbol convoca al mundo entero bajo una misma promesa; en 2026, esa promesa se amplía como nunca antes. Por primera vez en la historia, tres naciones —Estados Unidos, México y Canadá— compartirán la responsabilidad de albergar 48 selecciones en 104 partidos, desde el 11 de junio hasta el 19 de julio. La expansión no es solo numérica: es una redefinición del alcance y el significado de la Copa del Mundo como fenómeno colectivo global.
- El torneo más grande de la historia del fútbol arranca el 11 de junio con México enfrentando a Sudáfrica en el mítico Estadio Azteca, inaugurando una fase de grupos de doce llaves y 48 selecciones.
- La expansión a 104 partidos en tres países genera una logística sin precedentes, con sedes que van desde Los Ángeles y Nueva Jersey hasta Toronto y Monterrey.
- Gigantes como Argentina, Brasil, España, Francia e Inglaterra conviven en el cuadro con debutantes como Curazao, Haití y Uzbekistán, tensando la competencia entre lo establecido y lo emergente.
- El camino hacia la final del 19 de julio en Nueva Jersey pasa por una fase eliminatoria ampliada: octavos desde el 28 de junio, cuartos del 9 al 11 de julio, y semifinales el 14 y 15 de julio.
- Los aficionados peruanos podrán seguir cada partido en vivo a través de DirecTV Sports y la plataforma de streaming DGO, sin perderse ninguno de los 104 encuentros.
El Mundial de 2026 reescribe las reglas del torneo más visto del planeta. Por primera vez, tres países —Estados Unidos, México y Canadá— co-organizan la competencia, y México se convierte en la única nación en haber sido sede en tres ocasiones, con el Estadio Azteca como escenario del partido inaugural el 11 de junio entre los anfitriones y Sudáfrica.
La fase de grupos se extiende del 11 al 27 de junio con doce grupos de cuatro equipos. Argentina, campeona vigente, integra el Grupo J junto a Argelia, Austria y Jordania. Brasil comparte grupo con Marruecos, Haití y Escocia. El formato ampliado permite que selecciones históricamente excluidas —Curazao, Panamá, Uzbekistán— compartan escenario con las potencias tradicionales, añadiendo capas de imprevisibilidad al torneo.
Los partidos se distribuyen en estadios a lo largo de todo el continente: desde el SoFi Stadium en Los Ángeles hasta el MetLife Stadium en Nueva Jersey, pasando por Ciudad de México y Toronto. La fase eliminatoria arranca el 28 de junio con los octavos de final, y la estructura contempla incluso la clasificación de algunos terceros de grupo, manteniendo la tensión hasta el último minuto de la fase inicial.
Los cuartos de final se juegan del 9 al 11 de julio en Boston, Los Ángeles, Miami y Kansas City; las semifinales el 14 y 15 de julio en Dallas y Atlanta. El 19 de julio, en Nueva Jersey, se disputará el Partido 104: la gran final de la Copa del Mundo más ambiciosa jamás organizada.
Para el público peruano, DirecTV Sports y la plataforma DGO garantizan la transmisión en vivo de los 104 encuentros, tanto en televisión como en dispositivos móviles, asegurando que ningún aficionado quede fuera de esta reinvención del fútbol mundial.
The 2026 World Cup will be unlike any that came before it. When the tournament kicks off on June 11, it will do so with 48 nations competing across 104 matches—a historic expansion that fundamentally reshapes the scale and rhythm of football's grandest stage. For the first time, the competition will be hosted across three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada, an arrangement without precedent in the tournament's history. Mexico will make its own mark by becoming the first nation ever to host the World Cup three times, with the iconic Estadio Azteca once again at the center of the action.
The group stage will unfold over sixteen days, from June 11 through June 27, with twelve groups of four teams each. The draw has produced intriguing matchups: Argentina, the defending champion from Qatar 2022, will face Argelia, Austria, and Jordania in Group J. Brazil shares Group C with Marruecos, Haití, and Escocia. England, Spain, France, and Germany are all present, distributed across different groups to ensure competitive balance. Smaller nations and surprise qualifiers—Curazao, Haití, Panamá, Uzbekistán—will compete alongside the traditional powerhouses, a direct result of the expanded format that opens the door to new protagonists.
The schedule itself reflects the logistical complexity of a three-nation tournament. Matches will be played across stadiums in the United States, from the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as well as in Mexico City and Toronto. The first match pits Mexico against Sudáfrica on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca at 2:00 p.m., setting the tone for what follows. By June 27, all group play will be complete, and the field will have been narrowed to the teams advancing to the knockout rounds.
The knockout phase begins on June 28 with the Round of 16, which will feature sixteen matches spread across six days. The structure accommodates the expanded field: teams finishing first and second in their groups advance automatically, but a third-place finisher from certain groups can also qualify, adding another layer of unpredictability. The Round of 16 matches will be played in cities across North America—Los Angeles, Houston, Boston, Monterrey, Dallas, New Jersey, Mexico City, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver—ensuring that fans across the entire region have access to live football.
From there, the tournament narrows. The quarterfinals take place July 9-11, with matches in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kansas City. The semifinals follow on July 14 and 15 in Dallas and Atlanta. The third-place match is scheduled for July 18 in Miami, and the final—the culmination of a month-long spectacle—will be played on July 19 in New Jersey. That final match, Partido 104, represents the conclusion of the largest World Cup ever staged.
For viewers in Peru, the entire tournament will be accessible through DirecTV Sports on television and via the DGO streaming platform on mobile devices. Every match will be broadcast live, allowing fans to follow the action from anywhere, whether at home or on the move. This comprehensive coverage reflects the scale of the event itself: a tournament designed to reach a global audience and accommodate the unprecedented number of matches and participating nations. The 2026 World Cup is not simply a larger version of tournaments past—it is a fundamental reimagining of how the world's most popular sport organizes its ultimate competition.
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does expanding from 32 to 48 teams actually matter? Isn't it just more of the same?
It changes everything about who gets to play and who gets to dream. Sixteen more nations means countries that might never have qualified under the old system now have a real shot. Haití, Panamá, Uzbekistán—these aren't traditional powerhouses, but they're in. That's not trivial.
But doesn't that dilute the quality? More teams means weaker matches, doesn't it?
Maybe some group matches feel less urgent. But the format is clever—you can still finish third in your group and advance. That keeps tension high all the way through. And the knockout rounds are still where the best teams will meet. The expansion is really about access, not about watering down the final stages.
Three countries hosting together—that's never happened before. What does that actually look like on the ground?
Logistically, it's a nightmare in the best way. Fans might watch Mexico play in Los Angeles one day and then travel to Toronto for the next round. The stadiums are spread across a continent. But it also means the tournament isn't centered in one place—it's distributed, shared. That's genuinely new.
And Peru gets to watch all of it?
Every single match, live. DirecTV has the rights, and they're streaming everything on DGO. You don't need a cable box or a specific time of day. That's the modern World Cup—it travels with you.