The 2026 FIFA World Cup will start on June 11, and it will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams. That is 16 more than the last World Cup, a jump that changes the scale of the event before a ball is even kicked.
That is why the question of when does the world cup start is getting traction now. Fans are not just marking a date on the calendar. They are trying to understand how a bigger field, a new format and three host nations will shape the road to the final in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The early market already gives a sense of the race. Spain top the odds board at +450, with France close behind at +480. England are listed at +650, Brazil at +750 and Argentina, the reigning champions after their 2022 triumph, are at +900 to go back-to-back. France may be the No. 1 ranked team in the world, but the favourites are spread across different arguments, from form to history to the weight of a title defence.
Martin Green has singled out Mexico as one team worth watching, backing them to reach the Round of 16 at +125. Mexico have done it in seven of the last eight World Cups, and their group draw is manageable enough to keep that run alive. They are in Group A with South Africa, South Korea and Czechia, and Green noted that all of their group-stage matches will be played on home soil, with the crowd behind them from the first whistle.
The United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host the tournament, and the expanded field gives all three hosts a bigger spotlight than a standard 32-team event would have allowed. The USMNT are the shortest-priced of the host nations at +6500, a reminder that home advantage does not erase the gap between contenders and outsiders. For readers checking when the next World Cup starts, June 11, 2026 is now the date that matters most.
What comes next is the draw, the schedule and the first real picture of how this 48-team tournament will open. Until then, the start date is fixed, the favourites are posted, and Mexico already know they will begin in front of their own fans.
