World Cup 2026 Schedule: Match Dates, Times, and Full Fixtures

Brodie Martin 3 weeks ago Soccer Leave a comment 31 Views

The wait is almost over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule is officially out, and for soccer fans around the world, this marks the start of planning, dreaming, and counting down the days.

World Cup 2026 Schedule

The 2026 World Cup will be historic in many ways. It’s the first-ever World Cup hosted by three countries, the first tournament expanded to 48 teams, and the biggest global sporting event ever staged in North America.

Here is everything you need to know about the dates, times, and matchups for the 2026 World Cup.

2026 World Cup at a Glance

Before we dive into the day-by-day fixtures, let’s look at the “Big Picture” milestones of the tournament. The action spans 39 days, making it the longest World Cup in history.

  • Opening Match: Thursday, June 11, 2026 (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
  • Group Stage: June 11 – June 27
  • Round of 32: June 28 – July 3
  • Round of 16: July 4 – July 7
  • Quarterfinals: July 9 – July 11
  • Semifinals: July 14 – July 15
  • Third-Place Playoff: July 18 (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
  • World Cup Final: Sunday, July 19, 2026 (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)

Understanding the New 48-Team Format

The 2026 edition introduces a significant change in how the tournament works. Previously, 32 teams were divided into eight groups. Now, we have 12 groups (A through L) of four teams each.

How do teams advance? The top two teams from each of the 12 groups will automatically qualify for the knockout stage. They will be joined by the eight best third-place teams. This creates a brand-new “Round of 32,” meaning teams now have to survive an extra knockout game if they want to reach the final. If a team goes all the way to the trophy, they will have played eight matches instead of the traditional seven.

Full Group Stage Schedule: All 72 Matches

The group stage is a marathon of soccer, with multiple games happening every single day across different time zones. To make it easier for you, we’ve organized the schedule chronologically.

Note: Times listed are in Eastern Time (ET). Six teams (listed as Playoff Winners) will be decided in March 2026.

FIFA World Cup Schedule 2026: Full Group Stage 72 Matches

The group stage is a marathon of soccer, with multiple games happening every single day across different time zones. To make it easier for you, we’ve organized the schedule chronologically.

Note: Times listed are in Eastern Time (ET). Six teams (listed as Playoff Winners) will be decided in March 2026.

DateGroupMatchMatchupTime (ET)Venue
Thu, Jun. 11A1Mexico vs. South Africa3:00 PMEstadio Azteca
Thu, Jun. 11A2South Korea vs. UEFA Playoff D10:00 PMEstadio Guadalajara
Fri, Jun. 12B3Canada vs. UEFA Playoff A3:00 PMToronto Stadium
Fri, Jun. 12D4USA vs. Paraguay9:00 PMLos Angeles Stadium
Sat, Jun. 13D5Australia vs. UEFA Playoff C12:00 AMBC Place Vancouver
Sat, Jun. 13B6Qatar vs. Switzerland3:00 PMSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Sat, Jun. 13C7Brazil vs. Morocco6:00 PMNew York New Jersey Stadium
Sat, Jun. 13C8Haiti vs. Scotland9:00 PMBoston Stadium
Sun, Jun. 14E9Germany vs. Curaçao1:00 PMHouston Stadium
Sun, Jun. 14F10Netherlands vs. Japan4:00 PMDallas Stadium
Sun, Jun. 14E11Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador7:00 PMPhiladelphia Stadium
Sun, Jun. 14F12UEFA Playoff B vs. Tunisia10:00 PMEstadio Monterrey
Mon, Jun. 15H13Spain vs. Cape Verde12:00 PMAtlanta Stadium
Mon, Jun. 15G14Belgium vs. Egypt3:00 PMSeattle Stadium
Mon, Jun. 15H15Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay6:00 PMMiami Stadium
Mon, Jun. 15G16Iran vs. New Zealand9:00 PMLos Angeles Stadium
Tue, Jun. 16I17France vs. Senegal3:00 PMNew York New Jersey Stadium
Tue, Jun. 16I18IC Playoff 2 vs. Norway6:00 PMBoston Stadium
Tue, Jun. 16J19Argentina vs. Algeria9:00 PMKansas City Stadium
Tue, Jun. 16J20Austria vs. Jordan12:00 AMSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Wed, Jun. 17K21Portugal vs. IC Playoff 11:00 PMHouston Stadium
Wed, Jun. 17L22England vs. Croatia4:00 PMDallas Stadium
Wed, Jun. 17L23Ghana vs. Panama7:00 PMToronto Stadium
Wed, Jun. 17K24Uzbekistan vs. Colombia10:00 PMEstadio Azteca
Thu, Jun. 18A25UEFA Playoff D vs. South Africa12:00 PMAtlanta Stadium
Thu, Jun. 18B26Switzerland vs. UEFA Playoff A3:00 PMLos Angeles Stadium
Thu, Jun. 18B27Canada vs. Qatar6:00 PMBC Place Vancouver
Thu, Jun. 18A28Mexico vs. South Korea9:00 PMEstadio Guadalajara
Fri, Jun. 19D29UEFA Playoff C vs. Paraguay12:00 AMSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Fri, Jun. 19D30USA vs. Australia3:00 PMSeattle Stadium
Fri, Jun. 19C31Scotland vs. Morocco6:00 PMBoston Stadium
Fri, Jun. 19C32Brazil vs. Haiti9:00 PMPhiladelphia Stadium
Sat, Jun. 20F33Tunisia vs. Japan12:00 AMEstadio Monterrey
Sat, Jun. 20F34Netherlands vs. UEFA Playoff B1:00 PMHouston Stadium
Sat, Jun. 20E35Germany vs. Ivory Coast4:00 PMToronto Stadium
Sat, Jun. 20E36Ecuador vs. Curaçao8:00 PMKansas City Stadium
Sun, Jun. 21H37Spain vs. Saudi Arabia12:00 PMAtlanta Stadium
Sun, Jun. 21G38Belgium vs. Iran3:00 PMLos Angeles Stadium
Sun, Jun. 21H39Uruguay vs. Cape Verde6:00 PMMiami Stadium
Sun, Jun. 21G40New Zealand vs. Egypt9:00 PMBC Place Vancouver
Mon, Jun. 22J41Argentina vs. Austria1:00 PMDallas Stadium
Mon, Jun. 22I42France vs. IC Playoff 25:00 PMPhiladelphia Stadium
Mon, Jun. 22I43Norway vs. Senegal8:00 PMNew York New Jersey Stadium
Mon, Jun. 22J44Jordan vs. Algeria11:00 PMSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Tue, Jun. 23K45Portugal vs. Uzbekistan1:00 PMHouston Stadium
Tue, Jun. 23L46England vs. Ghana4:00 PMBoston Stadium
Tue, Jun. 23L47Panama vs. Croatia7:00 PMToronto Stadium
Tue, Jun. 23K48Colombia vs. IC Playoff 110:00 PMEstadio Guadalajara
Wed, Jun. 24B49Switzerland vs. Canada3:00 PMBC Place Vancouver
Wed, Jun. 24B50UEFA Playoff A vs. Qatar3:00 PMSeattle Stadium
Wed, Jun. 24C51Scotland vs. Brazil6:00 PMMiami Stadium
Wed, Jun. 24C52Morocco vs. Haiti6:00 PMAtlanta Stadium
Wed, Jun. 24A53UEFA Playoff D vs. Mexico9:00 PMEstadio Azteca
Wed, Jun. 24A54South Africa vs. South Korea9:00 PMEstadio Monterrey
Thu, Jun. 25E55Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast4:00 PMPhiladelphia Stadium
Thu, Jun. 25E56Ecuador vs. Germany4:00 PMNew York New Jersey Stadium
Thu, Jun. 25F57Japan vs. UEFA Playoff B7:00 PMDallas Stadium
Thu, Jun. 25F58Tunisia vs. Netherlands7:00 PMKansas City Stadium
Thu, Jun. 25D59UEFA Playoff C vs. USA10:00 PMLos Angeles Stadium
Thu, Jun. 25D60Paraguay vs. Australia10:00 PMSan Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Fri, Jun. 26I61Norway vs. France3:00 PMBoston Stadium
Fri, Jun. 26I62Senegal vs. IC Playoff 23:00 PMToronto Stadium
Fri, Jun. 26H63Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia8:00 PMHouston Stadium
Fri, Jun. 26H64Uruguay vs. Spain8:00 PMEstadio Guadalajara
Fri, Jun. 26G65Egypt vs. Iran11:00 PMSeattle Stadium
Fri, Jun. 26G66New Zealand vs. Belgium11:00 PMBC Place Vancouver
Sat, Jun. 27L67Panama vs. England5:00 PMNew York New Jersey Stadium
Sat, Jun. 27L68Croatia vs. Ghana5:00 PMPhiladelphia Stadium
Sat, Jun. 27K69Colombia vs. Portugal7:30 PMMiami Stadium
Sat, Jun. 27K70IC Playoff 1 vs. Uzbekistan7:30 PMAtlanta Stadium
Sat, Jun. 27J71Algeria vs. Austria10:00 PMKansas City Stadium
Sat, Jun. 27J72Jordan vs. Argentina10:00 PMDallas Stadium

The Road to the Final: Knockout Stages

Once the group stage dust settles, the tournament shifts into a high-stakes, single-elimination format. With 32 teams moving forward, the bracket will be more crowded than ever.

Round of 32 (June 28 – July 3)

This is where things get truly unpredictable. In this round, we see the top two from every group face off against either runners-up or the best third-place finishers. Games will be held in almost all major host cities, including a massive match at the Estadio Azteca on June 30th.

Round of 16 (July 4 – July 7)

Independence Day in the USA (July 4th) will be a soccer fan’s dream, with two Round of 16 matches scheduled in Philadelphia and Houston. This round narrows the field to the final eight teams.

Quarterfinals and Beyond

The Quarterfinals (July 9–11) will take place in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kansas City. The intensity then ramps up for the Semifinals in Dallas and Atlanta.

StageDateMatchVenue
QuarterfinalJuly 9, 202697Gillette Stadium, Boston
QuarterfinalJuly 10, 202698SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
QuarterfinalJuly 11, 202699Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
QuarterfinalJuly 11, 2026100Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
SemifinalJuly 14, 2026101AT&T Stadium, Dallas
SemifinalJuly 15, 2026102Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
3rd PlaceJuly 18, 2026103Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
FINALJuly 19, 2026104MetLife Stadium, NJ

Planning Your World Cup Experience

If you are planning to attend in person, there are a few practical things you need to keep in mind.

1. Tickets and Pricing

Tickets are sold in phases via the official FIFA ticketing portal. If you’re looking for a bargain, group stage tickets can start as low as $60, but prices escalate quickly for prime matchups and knockout rounds. Tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium are expected to range from $2,000 to over $6,000 on the primary market.

2. Where to Watch

Can’t make it to the stadium? Don’t worry. In the United States, Fox Sports holds the English-language rights, while Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage. You can also stream every match live through the Peacock app.

3. Host Cities: A Geographic Split

FIFA has organized the cities into three regions (West, Central, and East) to minimize travel for teams and fans.

  • West: Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles.
  • Central: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City.
  • East: Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey.

4. The Playoff Teams

Keep an eye out for the March 2026 playoffs. Six spots are still open, with heavyweights like Italy and Turkey potentially fighting for their lives to make it into the final 48.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 World Cup is more than just a sports tournament; it’s a continental celebration. From the high-altitude intensity of Mexico City to the modern spectacles in Los Angeles and the grand finale in New Jersey, this summer will be unforgettable.

Whether you’re rooting for the stars and stripes or the world champions from Argentina, the 104-match schedule ensures there is a game for everyone. Start checking those flight prices and clearing your calendar—the world is coming to North America!

About Brodie Martin

I’m Brodie Martin, a sports writer and editor at SportsDailyInfo.com. I cover soccer, hockey, basketball, and boxing, with a focus on delivering accurate game details, match previews, and timely sports updates. My work emphasizes clear analysis, factual reporting, and strong editorial standards to provide readers with reliable and easy-to-understand sports coverage.

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