After the tournament opens in Mexico on Thursday, attention will shift north, with the next matches of the biggest World Cup in FIFA history to be held in Toronto and Los Angeles.
Canada and the United States both begin their campaigns on Friday, but there’s already a lot going on inside the game as well as outside. From record numbers of red cards to sudden retirements and warnings for influencers traveling to the US, here’s what you need to know.
What is the schedule for the World Cup on June 12th?
The World Cup continues on Friday with the first matches played on home soil between Canada and the United States.
Canada begins its match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto. Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm local time (7pm GMT).
The United States will then take on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, kicking off at 6pm local time (1am Japan time on June 13).
Where can I watch the match?
Fans in the United States can watch all games in English on FOX and FS1, and all 104 games can also be streamed on FOX One and the FOX Sports app.
Spanish-language broadcasts in the U.S. are available on Telemundo and Universo and streamed through Peacock. Cord Cutters can also be watched through services that distribute FOX and FS1, including Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Stream.
In Canada, TSN is the main English-language broadcaster, with some games also shown on CTV. French viewers can follow the action on RDS and RDS2.
What are your predictions for Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina have never played each other before, and Friday’s meeting in Toronto will be the first for both sides.
Canada is looking for its first World Cup victory after losing all three of its previous two tournaments in 1986 and 2022. However, the team has made great strides in recent years, rising from outside the FIFA top 100 to 30th in the world rankings in 2017.
As for the predictions, Canada is the clear favorite to win thanks to the Opta supercomputer. In 10,000 pre-match simulations, the hosts won 58.3% of the time. Bosnia and Herzegovina came out on top in 20% of the simulations, while 21.7% ended in a draw.
What are your predictions for USA vs. Paraguay?
The only time the United States faced Paraguay in the World Cup was in 1930, when the North American team won 3-0.
The two teams have barely met since then. Paraguay defeated the United States in the 2007 Copa America, but the United States returned the favor with a narrow victory in the 2016 tournament.
Opta expects a close encounter in Inglewood. In 10,000 simulations, the United States won 39.8% of the time, Paraguay won 33.6% of the time, and tied 26.6% of the time.
What else is shaping the World Cup?
From record-breaking red cards to moments that go viral on social media, several stories have already gained attention.
Red card steals the spotlight
Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa marked an unexpected turn in World Cup history as it became the first opening match to feature three red cards.
South Africa’s Sfephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off before Mexico’s Cesar Montes was given a red point in the dying seconds of stoppage time. There was no sending off for a second yellow card.
The only time more people were sent off in a World Cup match was the infamous 2006 match between Portugal and the Netherlands, which saw four people sent off.
For comparison, there were only four red cards in total during the entire 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Japan national team captain Wataru Endo absent from World Cup
Samurai Blue suffered a major blow before the opening game, as captain Wataru Endo withdrew from the national team due to a leg injury and subsequently announced his retirement from the national team.
The 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder said he had “no regrets” about the decision after struggling to recover from surgery earlier this year.
Mexico’s Quinones scores his first goal in the World Cup
Julian Quiñones made history by scoring his first goal at the 2026 World Cup, joining a list of players that includes Pele.
The 29-year-old was born in Colombia and played for the country’s youth teams, but has never played for Colombia’s first team. He immigrated to Mexico in 2016, obtained Mexican citizenship in 2023, and was immediately called up to the national team.
Quinones has been in great form since joining Saudi club Al Qadosia in 2024, finishing the 2025-26 season as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 33 goals. His strong finish against South Africa showed exactly why he has become such an important player for Mexico.
Warning to World Cup influencers
Thousands of content creators are expected to come to North America, and U.S. authorities have reminded foreign influencers that tourist visas do not allow tourists to earn money from domestically produced content, El Pais reported.
According to the newspaper, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security said in a joint statement that creating monetized content in the U.S. constitutes labor and requires the appropriate visa.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report.
Argentina fan denied US visa gets free TV to watch World Cup
For some Argentina fans, missing out on the World Cup came with an unexpected consolation prize. Argentine company New Sun, through its Noblex brand, gave away 100 televisions to supporters who could prove they were denied a U.S. visa between January and June of this year.
“I came here because they refused my visa,” Argentine fan Tomas Vallera told Al Jazeera. “I learned about Noblex because my cousin told me about it. I really understood it.”
Vageler had hoped to travel to North America to watch what many believe will be Lionel Messi’s final World Cup appearance.
“Everyone thinks this might be Messi’s last World Cup, so I applied for a visa,” he said. “I’m very sad that I won’t be able to see him, but I’m going to bring him a gift. To be honest, I’m very happy about this,” he added.
Seattle prepares for heat
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport unveiled its renovated Terminal C just days before the first World Cup game.
But organizers may also have to contend with unusually high June temperatures, with highs expected at around 29 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) for Monday’s meeting between Belgium and Egypt, threatening Seattle’s previous record set on June 15.
The Spain and Barcelona player is already tipped to be a future Ballon d’Or winner and could one day be considered the best player in the world.
But this week he was doing something more normal: shopping at Walmart.
As Spain prepares for the 2026 World Cup in Georgia, Yamal was spotted by a fan at a Walmart in Fort Oglethorpe and apparently remembered a few things. The astonishing footage of the sighting quickly went viral on social media.
Are there any seats available?
Ticket prices continue to be a hot topic at the World Cup after thousands of empty seats were seen during South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Guadalajara.
Estadio Akron appeared to be largely empty during the Group A match, further fueling the debate over FIFA ticket prices. A day earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the tournament’s dynamic pricing policy.
Despite the empty seats, the atmosphere was lively.
Before South Korea could counterattack, the Czech Republic took the lead with a goal from Ladislav Krejci. After Hwang In-beom tied the score, Oh Hyun-kyu scored the winning goal to turn the game around.
The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest World Cup in history, with 48 teams and 104 games to be held in 16 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, up from 32 teams and 64 games in Qatar four years ago. FIFA expects the tournament to generate a record $13 billion in revenue over the four-year cycle, compared to $7.5 billion generated in the previous World Cup cycle.
However, this expansion has also been criticized. Dynamic pricing caused ticket prices to soar, with the most expensive seats for the finals rising from the $1,550 originally scheduled to be bid by organizers to nearly $14,000 at one point, before settling at more than $7,000 just days before kickoff. It is estimated that getting through to the group stage against England will cost fans more than $11,000, including tickets, accommodation and travel costs.
Environmental groups have also expressed concerns about the impact of hosting the Games across three countries. Independent researchers estimate that the competition’s carbon footprint could reach between 5 million and 9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, making it the most polluting sporting event ever held.
The increasingly congested football schedule has also renewed debate about player welfare. Players who reach the finals will be able to play eight games at the World Cup after a tough domestic campaign, and some of the top players have already played more than 60 games this season before joining the national team.
Scientists have also warned that around one in four matches could be played at temperatures above the recommended safety standards for players.
