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.

A. Pears

England

England28 yrs

Age

185 cm

Height

Goalkeeper

Typical role

England

Nationality

Career clubs

Blackburn

2021–2025

118 apps

Blackburn Rovers U21

2022–2024

3 apps

Blackburn Rovers U23

2021

1 apps

Career transfers

Middlesbrough Blackburn
16 Oct 2020
Gateshead Middlesbrough
1 Jul 2019
Middlesbrough Gateshead
27 Jul 2018Loan
Middlesbrough Darlington 1883
18 Jan 2018Loan

Injury record

Achilles Strain

Apr 2025

Illness

Jan 2025

Concussion

Mar 2024

Foot Injury

Nov 2023 – Jan 2024

25 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

Championship· England

FA Cup· England

League Cup· England

Premier League 2 Division One· England

Friendlies Clubs· World

Premier League Cup· England

Premier League International Cup· World

Recent form

vs Leicester

Championship · 0–1

@ Sheffield Utd

Championship · 3–1

vs Coventry

Championship · 1–1

@ Southampton

Championship · 0–3

@ Stoke City

Championship · 1–1

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Rating
2025	Blackburn	13	6.48
2024	Blackburn	46	6.91
2023	Blackburn	30	7.04
2022	Blackburn	28	7.04
2021	Blackburn	5	7.40

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls

← All World Cup stars