World Cup 2026: Opening Day Preview Four years after Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive penalty to help Argentina defeat France amid the controversies of Qatar 2022, the most-watched sporting tournament in the world returns today (11 June). Let's forget about all the off-pitch stories which I won't be touching on (this is purely football only!), the World Cup promises to be five weeks of immense global competition, talking points and global stars being born – the largest and longest tournament to date. Hosted in a record three countries, Canada, USA and Mexico, the 2026 showpiece features representatives from all six FIFA confederations for the first time since 2010, and four nations have qualified for the first time ever – Uzbekistan, Jordan, Curaçao and Cape Verde. The group stage will last from 11 June – 28 June, and the knockouts from 29 ...