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.

Y. Hirakawa

Japan

Japan24 yrs

Age

171 cm

Height

68 kg

Weight

Forward — centre

Typical role

Japan

Nationality

International career

Caps

Intl goals

Intl assists

Career clubs

Bristol City

2024–2025

41 apps⚽ 3

Hull City

2025

9 apps

Japan

2025

0 apps

Machida Zelvia

2021–2024

73 apps⚽ 12

Japan U23

2024

7 apps

Career transfers

Bristol City Hull City
18 Jan 2026Loan
Machida Zelvia Bristol City
30 Jun 2025Transfer
Bristol City Machida Zelvia
29 Jun 2025Return from loan
Machida Zelvia Bristol City
24 Feb 2025Transfer
Machida Zelvia Bristol City
9 Jul 2024Loan

Injury record

Ankle Injury

Jul 2024 – Aug 2024

12 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

J2/J3 League· Japan

Championship· England

J1 League· Japan

AFC U23 Asian Cup· World

Recent form

vs Middlesbrough

Championship

14'6.7

@ Millwall

Championship · 2–0

vs Millwall

Championship · 0–0

21'6.9

vs Norwich

Championship · 2–1

@ Leicester

Championship · 2–2

18'6.3

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Goals	Assists	Rating
2025	Hull City	11	1	1	6.81
2024	Bristol City	65	4	7	6.96
2023	Machida Zelvia	37	8	0	—
2022	Machida Zelvia	16	2	0	—
2021	Machida Zelvia	1	0	0	—

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls

← All World Cup stars