When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, with the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Where is the 2026 World Cup Final?

The Final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (New York metro area) on July 19, 2026.

How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup?

48 teams will compete in the 2026 World Cup — the first time the tournament has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.

How many host cities are there?

16 host cities across 3 countries: 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.

How many matches will be played?

104 matches will be played over 39 days, from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

M. Pieringer

Forward — left

Typical role

Career clubs

1. FC Heidenheim

2022–2025

124 apps⚽ 27

SC Paderborn 07

2022

3 apps⚽ 4

FC Schalke 04

2021

26 apps⚽ 2

Schalke 04 II

2021

1 apps

Career transfers

SC Freiburg FC Schalke 04
1 Jul 2022Transfer
SC Freiburg FC Schalke 04
1 Jul 2021Loan
SC Freiburg Würzburger Kickers
2 Jan 2021Loan

Honours

2. Bundesliga

Winner

Germany · 1× (2021/2022)

Injury record

Ankle Injury

Jul 2025

MCL Knee Injury

Nov 2024 – Dec 2024

Hamstring

Mar 2024

Ankle Injury

Nov 2023

11 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

Bundesliga· Germany

2. Bundesliga· Germany

DFB Pokal· Germany

UEFA Europa Conference League· World

Regionalliga - Nord· Germany

Recent form

vs FSV Mainz 05

Bundesliga · 0–2

45'6.3

@ 1. FC Köln

Bundesliga · 3–1

89'6.2

@ Bayern München

Bundesliga · 3–3

77'6.3

vs FC St. Pauli

Bundesliga · 2–0

89'6.9

@ SC Freiburg

Bundesliga · 1–2

90'6.3

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Goals	Assists	Rating
2025	1. FC Heidenheim	26	4	1	6.76
2024	1. FC Heidenheim	42	8	5	7.01
2023	1. FC Heidenheim	33	5	3	6.89
2022	1. FC Heidenheim	26	14	9	7.29
2021	FC Schalke 04	27	2	2	6.66

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

245

Fouls

← All World Cup stars