Overview
- Organizers released the full match schedule, assigning games to 16 stadiums across North America with venues listed city by city.
- MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is set to host the final, with group and knockout dates mapped to each site.
- All 48 teams are confirmed, as Iraq claimed the last berth and returned to the tournament after a 40-year gap.
- Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan qualified for the first time, with Curaçao entering as the smallest nation to compete.
- Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup and Poland also missed out, while visa hurdles for fans remain a stated concern.