The FIFA World Cup 2026 fever is high among the fans as all teams gear up for the marquee event. The tournament is all set to begin from June 12, and will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Ahead of the tournament, the Norway national football team has done a dramatic photoshoot, unlike any other seen before, in which they have portrayed the footballers as “Vikings”. The official social media handle of the national team has shared the post, in which all players, including Manchester City star Erling Haaland and Arsenal`s Martin Odegaard among others, are seen posing for a photo near the seaside.
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A Viking is a sea-faring warrior, trader, and explorer from Scandinavia (now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden).
Argentina are the defending champions of the FIFA World Cup. They clinched the title in 2022 edition by defeating France in the title clash.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises has sealed a massive television and streaming deal with FIFA, locking in exclusive broadcast rights for 39 premier football tournaments in India from 2026 to 2034. This historic agreement marks the very first partnership between the two companies and includes mega-events such as the men`s FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2030, alongside the 2027 FIFA Women`s World Cup.
This will be the first edition in the tournament`s history, in which it will feature 48 teams competing across 104 total matches. Following the expansion, the group stage will consist of 12 groups of four teams each.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight third-placed finishers, will progress to the round of 32.
The first clash of the mega event is scheduled to be played between Mexico and South Africa on June 12 at the Mexico City Stadium.
The round of 32 will begin from June 29, followed by round of 16 from July 4. The tournament will reach the quarter-finals` stage on July 10, whereas the semi-finals are set to be played on July 15 and 16.
The third-place play-off match will be played on July 19.
The title clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be played on July 20 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
