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. Esse

Midfield — centre

Typical role

Career clubs

Crystal Palace

2024–2025

33 apps⚽ 2

Coventry

2025

18 apps⚽ 2

Crystal Palace U21

2025

1 apps

Millwall

2022–2024

64 apps⚽ 6

England U19

2023–2024

6 apps⚽ 2

Career transfers

Crystal Palace Coventry
6 Jan 2026Loan
Millwall Crystal Palace
18 Jan 2025Transfer
Millwall U18 Millwall
25 Dec 2022

Injury record

Illness

Apr 2025

Groin Injury

Dec 2024

2 recorded match-day injury flags in the corpus.

Competitions

Championship· England

Premier League· England

FA Cup· England

UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification· World

League Cup· England

Community Shield· England

UEFA Europa Conference League· World

EFL Trophy· England

Recent form

@ Watford

Championship · 4–0

70'6.9

vs Wrexham

Championship · 3–1

8'6.5

vs Portsmouth

Championship · 5–1

64'6.6

@ Blackburn

Championship · 1–1

28'6.6

vs Sheffield Wednesday

Championship · 0–0

23'6.6

Season by season

Season	Team	Apps	Goals	Assists	Rating
2025	Coventry	27	2	2	6.78
2024	Millwall	52	7	2	6.86
2023	Millwall	30	3	0	6.72
2022	Millwall	13	0	0	6.42

Discipline

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls

← All World Cup stars