PNW on the Global Stage: Draw for World Soccer 2026 Tournament in Vancouver, BC

Fun facts and information about each of the countries competing at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia during FIFA World Cup 2026™

⚽This content is part of our #SnoCoGameday Series, which captures all the excitement of the beautiful game in the Pacific Northwest. As our region prepares to host the world’s biggest sporting event in summer 2026, make it your goal to plan a pitch-perfect escape to Snohomish County. For more information, resources, and content, visit discoversnoco.com. ⚽

BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia

After months of agonizing anticipation (or years, depending on your soccer fandom), the wait is finally over. The field is set for all 48 nations competing in the big world soccer 2026 tournament hitting North America this summer—and some of the tournament’s biggest matches are taking place in Vancouver, BC.

This iconic Pacific Northwest city in Canada is known for its international cuisine and amazing sites such as Stanley Park and Granville Island. And it’s less than 95 miles (roughly 152 kilometers) north of Snohomish County, making our sweeping coastlines, lush river valleys, rugged mountain trails, and lively downtowns the perfect basecamp for a PNW soccer adventure this summer.

Beginning June 13, BC Place Stadium plays host to seven incredible matchups, five of which take place in the group stage. This means the road to world soccer supremacy runs through the Van City for eight powerhouse hopefuls, and we’ve put together a guide that gives the rundown on each nation competing in the opening round at BC Place Stadium.

Australia

  • Population: 27.7 million
  • Capital: Canberra
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 7
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 4 wins, 4 draws, 12 losses

As the world’s only country that’s also a continent, Australia is a truly unique nation that’s full of wonder. It’s the only natural habitat for many of the world’s favorite marsupials such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, and the Tasmanian devil. Australia is known for its beaches, surfing, and scuba diving. Down under is where you’ll also find the Australian Outback and the Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest living structure in the world. Notable Australians include actor Hugh Jackman, legendary rock band AC/DC, actress Nicole Kidmna, and the “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Türkiye (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 13 @ 9 pm PT)
  • vs. USA (Seattle Stadium, June 19 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Paraguay (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 27 @ 7 pm PT)
Pictured: Sydney, Australia

Türkiye

  • Population: 87.8 million
  • Capital: Ankara
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2002
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 4
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 5 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses

With its location sprawled across Europe and Asia, Türkiye is a true gateway between western and eastern culture. It’s most prominent city, Istanbul, is the only city in the world that sits on two continents. Türkiye is renowned for its ancient artifacts and ruins, top-notch Mediterranean cuisine, and rich coffee culture. It’s also home to the majestic fairy chimney rock formations. Notable people from Türkiye include 16th-century architect Mimar Sinan, award-winning film director and photographer Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and soccer star Arda Güler. Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium is where you can catch Güler and Türkiye in the nation’s first world soccer tournament match since its 2002 bronze-medal run in 2002.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Australia (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 13 @ 9 pm PT)
  • vs. Paraguay (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 19 @ 8 pm PT)
  • vs. USA (Los Angeles Stadium, June 25 @ 7 pm PT)
Pictured: Göreme, Türkiye

Canada

  • Population: 41.5 million
  • Capital: Ottawa
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 3
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 0 draws, 6 losses

Canada is one of three nations hosting this summer’s major soccer tournament, along with the United States and Mexico. It’s a nation known for having two official languages (English and French), producing more than 70% of the world’s maple syrup, and inventing hockey. Canada has a vast and glorious wilderness, Banff National Park, the Canadian Rockies, and Niagara Falls. It also has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Notable Canadians include actor Vancouver-based Ryan Reynolds, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, pop vocalist Celine Dion, and singer Justin Bieber. Canada has yet to win a match in the world soccer tournament, but you’ll have two chances to see them go for victory in front of the home crowd in Vancouver!

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Toronto Stadium, June 12 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Qatar (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 18 @ 3 pm PT)
  • vs. Switzerland (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 24 @ 12 pm PT)
Pictured: Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada

Qatar

  • Population: 3.17 million
  • Capital: Doha
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 2
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses

Qatar is a peninsular nation on the Persian Gulf. Though smaller than the state of Connecticut, Qatar has an extremely high per capita GDP score. The capital city Doha is known for its sprawling skyline with futuristic skyscrapers, including the Burj Doha. Notable people from Qatar include Olympic track and field legend Mutaz Essa Barshim, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Ghanim Al-Muftah, and visual artist Fatma AlSharshani. Qatar hosted the last world soccer tournament in 2022, and you’ll have the chance to see this nation go for it’s first-ever match victory in the tournament during its games in Seattle and Vancouver!

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Switzerland (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 13 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Canada (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 18 @ 3 pm PT)
  • vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Seattle Stadium, June 24 @ 12 pm PT)

New Zealand

  • Population: 5.34 million
  • Capital: Wellington
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2010
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 3
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses

New Zealand is famous for its picturesque landscapes and dramatic nature that include glaciers, fjords, volcanoes, and endless farmland. Roughly the size of Colorado, New Zealand is a nation that’s best known across the globe as the location for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. It’s a thriving extreme sports hub and the birthplace of bungee jumping. Notable New Zealanders include film director Sir Peter Jackson, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lorde, and actor Russell Crowe. New Zealand has yet to win a game in the world soccer tournament, and you’ll have two chances to see this nation go for a victory in Vancouver!

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. IR Iran (Los Angeles Stadium, June 15 @ 6 pm PT)
  • vs. Egypt (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 21 @ 6 pm PT)
  • vs. Belgium (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 26 @ 8 pm PT)
Pictured: A Hobbit home in New Zealand

Egypt

  • Population: 120 million
  • Capital: Cairo
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2018
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 4
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses

As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, Egypt is known for its many ancient artifacts, monuments, and landmarks, including the Great Sphinx, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and its many preserved hieroglyphics. It’s also home to the 4,332-mile-long (7,088 kilometer) Nile River — the world’s longest river — and the Pyramids of Giza, which are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Egypt is a transcontinental nation in Northeastern Africa that also touches the Middle East in Southwest Asia. At 386,700 square miles or 1,002,000 square kilometers, Egypt is about 30% larger than the state of Texas. Notable people from Egypt include King Tutankhamun, Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz, and international soccer star Mohamed Salah (catch him playing this summer in Vancouver and Seattle).

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Belgium (Seattle Stadium, June 15 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. New Zealand (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 21 @ 6 pm PT)
  • vs. IR Iran (Seattle Stadium, June 26 @ 8pm PT)
Pictured: Temple of Kom Ombo on the Nile River near Aswan and Luxor

Switzerland

  • Population: 9.1 million
  • Capital: Bern (seat of federal government and parliament)
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 13
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 14 wins, 8 draws, 19 losses

Switzerland is known for its scenic Alpine landscapes, beautiful lakes, and prized exports such as watches, chocolate, and cheese. It’s also regarded for its high quality of life, world-class winter sports, and its political neutrality. Switzerland is a relatively small nation —about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined— but it has four official languages (German, French, Italian, and Romansh). Notable Swiss people include Tennis stars Roger Federer and Martina Hingis, Psychologist Carl Jung, and the first Nobel Peace Prize winner and Red Cross founder, Henri Dunant.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Qatar (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 13 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Los Angeles Stadium, June 18 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Canada (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 24 @ 12 pm PT
Pictured: Mountain town in Switzerland

Belgium

  • Population: 11.77 million
  • Capital: Brussels
  • Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
  • Total world soccer tournament appearances: 15
  • World soccer tournament overall record: 21 wins, 10 draws, 20 losses

The Kingdom of Belgium is a Western European nation renowned for its Renaissance architecture and culinary delights, including chocolate, beer, waffles, and twice-fried fries. Roughly the size of the state of Maryland, Belgium is a small nation with a big impact, as it holds court as the administrative headquarters for both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Notable people from Belgium include actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, actress Audrey Hepburn, and physicist Georges Lemaître who proposed the Big Bang Theory.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

  • vs. Egypt (Seattle Stadium, June 15 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. Iran (Los Angeles Stadium, June 21 @ 12 pm PT)
  • vs. New Zealand (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 26 @ 8 pm PT)
Pictured: A chocolatey treat in Belgium

⚽Explore Beyond the Pitch: From the opening kick to the triumphant hoisting of the trophy — and beyond — Snohomish County, WA is your top destination for a pitch-perfect escape. In Snohomish County, you’ll discover that the best pre- and post-match plays aren’t made on turf, they’re made on trails, kayaks, and brewery patios. When the beautiful game kicks off in the Pacific Northwest, plan your escape in one of the many beautiful cities in Snohomish County. ⚽

Nick Shekeryk

Nick Shekeryk

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