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.

R. Knoche

Germany

Germany33 yrs

Age

190 cm

Height

77 kg

Weight

Defence — centre

Typical role

Germany

Nationality

Career clubs

1. FC Nürnberg

2024–2025

34 apps⚽ 1

Arminia Bielefeld

2025

12 apps⚽ 2

Union Berlin

2021–2023

122 apps⚽ 10

Career transfers

Union Berlin 1. FC Nürnberg
19 Jul 2024Free transfer
VfL Wolfsburg Union Berlin
1 Jul 2020Free transfer

Injury record

Illness

Sept 2023 – Oct 2023

Virus

Mar 2019

Thigh Injury

Oct 2018

Hip/Thigh Injury

Oct 2018

6 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

Bundesliga· Germany

2. Bundesliga· Germany

DFB Pokal· Germany

UEFA Europa League· World

UEFA Europa Conference League· World

UEFA Champions League· World

Recent form

vs Hertha BSC

2. Bundesliga · 6–1

@ 1. FC Kaiserslautern

2. Bundesliga · 0–2

90'7.2

vs VfL Bochum

2. Bundesliga · 1–1

90'7.2

@ Preußen Münster

2. Bundesliga · 3–2

90'6.3

@ Karlsruher SC

2. Bundesliga · 1–4

⚽ 190'7.2

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Goals	Assists	Rating
2025	Arminia Bielefeld	13	2	0	7.08
2024	1. FC Nürnberg	33	1	3	7.01
2023	Union Berlin	29	2	0	6.86
2022	Union Berlin	47	7	4	7.06
2021	Union Berlin	46	1	1	6.92

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

222

Fouls

← All World Cup stars