FIFA has officially released the complete 104-match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, the first-ever 48-team tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Running from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 stadiums in 11 host cities, this will be the biggest World Cup in history.
The Final Draw took place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., and today FIFA published the exact dates, venues, and match pairings for the entire group stage. Kickoff times (in local and ET) were announced at midday ET and are optimized for global audiences, typically in 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., or 9 p.m. ET slots to balance time zones, weather, and stadium atmospheres. The knockout bracket paths are now locked in.
2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule Overview
Here’s the 2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule overview for you.
- Dates: June 11 – July 19, 2026 (39 days)
- Teams: 48 (expanded from 32)
- Matches: 104 total (72 group stage + 32 knockout)
- Format: 12 groups of 4 teams; top 2 per group + 8 best third-placers advance to Round of 32
- Host Openers:
- Mexico: June 11 at Estadio Azteca (Mexico City)
- United States: June 12 at SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)
- Canada: June 12 at BMO Field (Toronto)
- Final: July 19, 3:00 PM ET at MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey)
The full groups were determined at the Final Draw, with hosts pre-seeded (Mexico in A, Canada in B, USA in D) and top-ranked teams like Spain, Argentina, France, and England separated until the late stages. Playoff qualifiers (to be decided in March 2026) fill the remaining spots.
Official Groups
| Group | Teams |
| A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Playoff D |
| B | Canada, UEFA Playoff A, Qatar, Switzerland |
| C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| D | USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff C |
| E | Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador |
| F | Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff B, Tunisia |
| G | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand |
| H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| I | France, Senegal, FIFA Playoff 2, Norway |
| J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| K | Portugal, FIFA Playoff 1, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
Group L stands out as the potential “Group of Death” with England and Croatia facing off early.
Full Group Stage Schedule (All times Eastern Time – ET)
Below is the comprehensive group stage schedule with confirmed dates, kickoff times, matches, groups, and venues (resolved to specific stadiums where paired). Each team plays 3 matches, spread across 17 days for optimal recovery and attendance. Fixtures follow pot assignments (e.g., host vs. Pot 2 on openers).
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Group | Venue (City) |
| Thu, Jun 11 | 8:00 PM | Mexico vs South Africa | A | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Thu, Jun 11 | 5:00 PM | South Korea vs UEFA Playoff D | A | Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX) |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 3:00 PM | Canada vs UEFA Playoff A | B | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 9:00 PM | USA vs Paraguay | D | SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 12:00 PM | Brazil vs Morocco | C | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 3:00 PM | Haiti vs Scotland | C | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 6:00 PM | Australia vs UEFA Playoff C | D | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 9:00 PM | Qatar vs Switzerland | B | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 12:00 PM | Germany vs Curaçao | E | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 3:00 PM | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | E | NRG Stadium (Houston, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 6:00 PM | Netherlands vs Japan | F | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 9:00 PM | UEFA Playoff B vs Tunisia | F | Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs Cape Verde | H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 3:00 PM | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | H | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 6:00 PM | Belgium vs Egypt | G | SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 9:00 PM | Iran vs New Zealand | G | Lumen Field (Seattle, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 12:00 PM | France vs Senegal | I | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 3:00 PM | FIFA Playoff 2 vs Norway | I | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 6:00 PM | Argentina vs Algeria | J | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 9:00 PM | Austria vs Jordan | J | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 12:00 PM | England vs Croatia | L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 3:00 PM | Ghana vs Panama | L | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 6:00 PM | Portugal vs FIFA Playoff 1 | K | NRG Stadium (Houston, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 9:00 PM | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | K | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 12:00 PM | UEFA Playoff D vs South Africa | A | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 3:00 PM | Switzerland vs UEFA Playoff A | B | SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 6:00 PM | Canada vs Qatar | B | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 9:00 PM | Mexico vs South Korea | A | Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX) |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 12:00 PM | Brazil vs Haiti | C | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 3:00 PM | Scotland vs Morocco | C | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 6:00 PM | UEFA Playoff C vs Paraguay | D | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 9:00 PM | USA vs Australia | D | Lumen Field (Seattle, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 12:00 PM | Germany vs Ivory Coast | E | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 3:00 PM | Ecuador vs Curaçao | E | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 6:00 PM | Netherlands vs UEFA Playoff B | F | NRG Stadium (Houston, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 9:00 PM | Tunisia vs Japan | F | Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX) |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 3:00 PM | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | H | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 6:00 PM | Belgium vs Iran | G | SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 9:00 PM | New Zealand vs Egypt | G | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 12:00 PM | France vs FIFA Playoff 2 | I | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 3:00 PM | Norway vs Senegal | I | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 6:00 PM | Argentina vs Austria | J | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, USA) |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 9:00 PM | Jordan vs Algeria | J | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 12:00 PM | England vs Ghana | L | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 3:00 PM | Panama vs Croatia | L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 6:00 PM | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | K | NRG Stadium (Houston, USA) |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 9:00 PM | Colombia vs FIFA Playoff 1 | K | Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 12:00 PM | Scotland vs Brazil | C | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 3:00 PM | Morocco vs Haiti | C | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:00 PM | Canada vs Switzerland | B | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 9:00 PM | UEFA Playoff A vs Qatar | B | Lumen Field (Seattle, USA) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 12:00 PM | Mexico vs UEFA Playoff D | A | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 3:00 PM | South Korea vs South Africa | A | Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 12:00 PM | Ecuador vs Germany | E | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 3:00 PM | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | E | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:00 PM | Tunisia vs Netherlands | F | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 9:00 PM | Japan vs UEFA Playoff B | F | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 12:00 PM | USA vs UEFA Playoff C | D | SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 3:00 PM | Paraguay vs Australia | D | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 12:00 PM | Norway vs France | I | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 3:00 PM | Senegal vs FIFA Playoff 2 | I | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 6:00 PM | New Zealand vs Belgium | G | Lumen Field (Seattle, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 9:00 PM | Egypt vs Iran | G | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 12:00 PM | Uruguay vs Spain | H | NRG Stadium (Houston, USA) |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 3:00 PM | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | H | Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM | Panama vs England | L | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 3:00 PM | Croatia vs Ghana | L | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 6:00 PM | Jordan vs Argentina | J | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 9:00 PM | Algeria vs Austria | J | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM | Colombia vs Portugal | K | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, USA) |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 3:00 PM | FIFA Playoff 1 vs Uzbekistan | K | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, USA) |
(Note: Times and venues are as announced by FIFA on December 6, 2025. Some venues were paired based on host city assignments; exact stadiums for dual-city slots are confirmed above.)
Knockout Stage Schedule (Dates & Key Venues Confirmed)
The Round of 32 bracket paths are set to avoid early clashes between top seeds. Full times and exact matchups (e.g., Winner A vs. 3rd C/D/E) are in the PDF.
Round of 32 (June 28 – July 3, 2026)
16 matches across venues like Rose Bowl (Pasadena), Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), and more.
Round of 16 (July 4 – July 8, 2026)
8 matches, including slots at MetLife Stadium and BC Place.
Quarterfinals (July 10 – July 11, 2026)
4 matches at Camping World Stadium (Orlando), NRG Stadium (Houston), etc.
Semifinals (July 14 – July 15, 2026)
2 matches at AT&T Stadium (Arlington) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta).
Third-Place Match (July 18, 2026)
4:00 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens).
Final (July 19, 2026)
3:00 PM ET at MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford).
Printable PDF Download
For easy printing and reference, download the official full schedule PDF below. It includes all 104 matches with groups, dates, times, venues, and a blank bracket for your predictions.
- Download 2026 FIFA World Cup Full Schedule PDF
- Printable Blank Bracket PDF (For filling in your predictions.)
- Printable Blank Bracket with Groups
Key Highlights & What to Watch For
- Host Nation Spotlights: Mexico kicks off at the Azteca (8:00 PM ET vs. South Africa), the only stadium to host three World Cup openers. USA faces Paraguay in a prime-time LA showdown (9:00 PM ET), while Canada hosts UEFA Playoff A at 3:00 PM ET in Toronto.
- Star Matchups: Blockbuster openers like England vs. Croatia (June 17, 12:00 PM ET) in Group L, Brazil vs. Morocco rematch (June 13, 12:00 PM ET), and France vs. Senegal (June 16, 12:00 PM ET). Don’t miss Argentina vs. Algeria (June 16, 6:00 PM ET).
- Global Accessibility: Matches staggered for viewers—early for Asia/Europe, evenings for the Americas.
- Ticket Info: Over 2 million tickets sold. Grab yours at FIFA.com/tickets.
This schedule sets the stage for the most ambitious World Cup yet, blending North American passion with worldwide talent. As the March 2026 playoffs finalize the last qualifiers, the countdown to June 11 intensifies. Who will lift the trophy in New Jersey?
