The FIFA World Cup 2026 Fixture kicks off in just over a week — and this is the biggest edition in the tournament’s 96-year history. For the first time, 48 nations will compete across three host countries, generating 104 matches over 39 days. From Mexico City on June 11 to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, here is every single fixture, venue, and kick-off time you need.
Teams: 48 | Matches: 104 | Host Cities: 16 | Dates: June 11 – July 19
How the FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture Works
The expanded format introduces 12 groups of four teams. The top two from each group advance automatically to the knockout rounds, joined by the eight best third-placed sides from across all 12 groups — creating a brand-new Round of 32 that replaces the traditional Round of 16 entry point.
All kick-off times below are in British Summer Time (BST). For Indian Standard Time (IST), add 4 hours 30 minutes. For Eastern Time (ET), subtract 5 hours.
Group Stage — June 11 to June 27
Thursday, June 11 Group A: Mexico vs South Africa — 8:00pm — Mexico City, Mexico
Friday, June 12 Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic — 3:00am — Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina — 8:00pm — Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 13 Group D: USA vs Paraguay — 2:00am — Los Angeles, USA
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland — 8:00pm — Santa Clara, USA Group C: Brazil vs Morocco — 11:00pm — New Jersey, USA
Sunday, June 14 Group C: Haiti vs Scotland — 2:00am — Foxborough, USA
Group D: Australia vs Turkey — 5:00am — Vancouver, Canada
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan — 9:00pm — Arlington, USA
Monday, June 15 Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador — 12:00am — Philadelphia, USA
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia — 3:00am — Guadalupe, Mexico Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde — 5:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt — 8:00pm — Seattle, USA
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay — 11:00pm — Miami, USA
Tuesday, June 16 Group G: Iran vs New Zealand — 2:00am — Los Angeles, USA
Group I: France vs Senegal — 8:00pm — New Jersey, USA Group I: Iraq vs Norway — 11:00pm — Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 17 Group J: Argentina vs Algeria — 2:00am — Kansas City, USA
Group J: Austria vs Jordan — 5:00am — Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Croatia — 9:00pm — Arlington, USA
Thursday, June 18 Group L: Ghana vs Panama — 12:00am — Toronto, Canada
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia — 3:00am — Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa — 5:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina — 8:00pm — Los Angeles, USA
Group B: Canada vs Qatar — 11:00pm — Vancouver, Canada
Friday, June 19 Group A: Mexico vs South Korea — 2:00am — Zapopan, Mexico
Group D: USA vs Australia — 8:00pm — Seattle, USA
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco — 11:00pm — Foxborough, USA
Saturday, June 20 Group C: Brazil vs Haiti — 1:30am — Philadelphia, USA
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay — 4:00am — Santa Clara, USA
Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast — 9:00pm — Toronto, Canada
Sunday, June 21 Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao — 1:00am — Kansas City, USA
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan — 5:00am — Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia — 5:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Iran — 8:00pm — Los Angeles, USA
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde — 11:00pm — Miami, USA
Monday, June 22 Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt — 2:00am — Vancouver, Canada
Group J: Argentina vs Austria — 6:00pm — Arlington, USA
Group I: France vs Iraq — 10:00pm — Philadelphia, USA
Tuesday, June 23 Group I: Norway vs Senegal — 1:00am — Toronto, Canada
Group J: Jordan vs Algeria — 4:00am — Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Ghana — 9:00pm — Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 24 Group L: Panama vs Croatia — 12:00am — Foxborough, USA
Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo — 3:00am — Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada — 8:00pm — Vancouver, Canada
Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar — 8:00pm — Seattle, USA
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti — 11:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Group C: Scotland vs Brazil — 11:00pm — Miami, USA
Thursday, June 25 Group A: South Africa vs South Korea — 2:00am — Guadalupe, Mexico Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico — 2:00am — Mexico City, Mexico
Group E: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast — 9:00pm — Philadelphia, USA
Group E: Ecuador vs Germany — 9:00pm — New Jersey, USA
Friday, June 26 Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands — 12:00am — Kansas City, USA
Group F: Japan vs Sweden — 12:00am — Arlington, USA
Group D: Turkey vs USA — 3:00am — Los Angeles, USA
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia — 3:00am — Santa Clara, USA
Group I: Norway vs France — 8:00pm — Foxborough, USA
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq — 8:00pm — Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 27 Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia — 1:00am — Houston, USA
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain — 1:00am — Zapopan, Mexico Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium — 4:00am — Vancouver, Canada
Group G: Egypt vs Iran — 4:00am — Seattle, USA
Group L: Panama vs England — 10:00pm — New Jersey, USA
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana — 10:00pm — Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, June 28 Group K: Colombia vs Portugal — 12:30am — Miami, USA
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan — 12:30am — Atlanta, USA
Group J: Algeria vs Austria — 3:00am — Kansas City, USA
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina — 3:00am — Arlington, USA
Round of 32 — June 28 to July 4
Sunday, June 28 Match 73: Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up — 8:00pm — Los Angeles, USA
Monday, June 29 Match 76: Group C winners vs Group F runners-up — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Match 74: Group E winners vs best 3rd place (A/B/C/D/F) — 9:30pm — Foxborough, USA
Tuesday, June 30 Match 75: Group F winners vs Group C runners-up — 2:00am — Guadalupe, Mexico
Match 78: Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up — 6:00pm — Arlington, USA
Match 77: Group I winners vs best 3rd place (C/D/F/G/H) — 10:00pm — New Jersey, USA
Wednesday, July 1 Match 79: Group A winners vs best 3rd place (C/E/F/H/I) — 2:00am — Mexico City, Mexico
Match 80: Group L winners vs best 3rd place (E/H/I/J/K) — 5:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Match 82: Group G winners vs best 3rd place (A/E/H/I/J) — 9:00pm — Seattle, USA
Thursday, July 2 Match 81: Group D winners vs best 3rd place (B/E/F/I/J) — 1:00am — Santa Clara, USA
Match 84: Group H winners vs Group J runners-up — 8:00pm — Los Angeles, USA
Friday, July 3 Match 83: Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up — 12:00am — Toronto, Canada
Match 85: Group B winners vs best 3rd place (E/F/G/I/J) — 4:00am — Vancouver, Canada
Match 88: Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up — 7:00pm — Arlington, USA
Match 86: Group J winners vs Group H runners-up — 11:00pm — Miami, USA
Saturday, July 4 Match 87: Group K winners vs best 3rd place (D/E/I/J/L) — 2:30am — Kansas City, USA
Round of 16 — July 4 to July 7
Saturday, July 4 Match 90: M73 winners vs M75 winners — 6:00pm — Houston, USA
Match 89: M74 winners vs M77 winners — 10:00pm — Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, July 5 Match 91: M76 winners vs M78 winners — 9:00pm — New Jersey, USA
Monday, July 6 Match 92: M79 winners vs M80 winners — 1:00am — Mexico City, Mexico Match 93: M83 winners vs M84 winners — 8:00pm — Arlington, USA
Tuesday, July 7 Match 94: M81 winners vs M82 winners — 1:00am — Seattle, USA
Match 95: M86 winners vs M88 winners — 5:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Match 96: M85 winners vs M87 winners — 9:00pm — Vancouver, Canada
Quarter-Finals — July 9 to July 12
Match 97: M89 winners vs M90 winners — Thu July 9, 9:00pm — Foxborough, USA
Match 98: M93 winners vs M94 winners — Fri July 10, 8:00pm — Los Angeles, USA
Match 99: M91 winners vs M92 winners — Sat July 11, 10:00pm — Miami, USA
Match 100: M95 winners vs M96 winners — Sun July 12, 2:00am — Kansas City, USA
Semi-Finals — July 14 & 15
Match 101: M97 winners vs M98 winners — Tue July 14, 8:00pm — Arlington, USA
Match 102: M99 winners vs M100 winners — Wed July 15, 8:00pm — Atlanta, USA
Third Place Playoff & Final
Third Place Playoff: Semi-final losers — Sat July 18, 10:00pm — Miami, USA
FINAL: World Cup Final — Sun July 19, 8:00pm — MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA
What This Means for Fans
The North American time zones create a split experience for global audiences. Evening kick-offs local time translate to late night or early morning in the UK and India. Most group stage matches between 6pm and midnight US Eastern time arrive between 11pm and 5am BST, and between 3:30am and 9:30am IST. Planning around the schedule is essential for anyone following the tournament closely.
The expanded Round of 32 means a nation like England could face a third-placed qualifier in the first knockout round rather than a group winner or runner-up. That changes the tactical calculus of the group stage — finishing third may still be enough to progress, which could reduce urgency in some final group matches.
For viewers in India, the bulk of the prime evening fixtures in North America land overnight. The World Cup final on July 19 kicks off at 1:30am IST on July 20.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start and end? The tournament begins on Thursday, June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa in Mexico City, and concludes with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, July 19.
How many teams and matches are in the 2026 World Cup? The 2026 World Cup features 48 teams for the first time, producing 104 matches across 39 days. The expansion also introduces a brand-new Round of 32 knockout stage.
When do England play at the World Cup 2026 ? England’s three group stage fixtures are: vs Croatia on June 17 (9pm BST, Arlington), vs Ghana on June 23 (9pm BST, Foxborough), and vs Panama on June 27 (10pm BST, New Jersey).
Where is the 2026 World Cup final being held? The final takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday July 19, with an 8pm BST kick-off.
How does the 2026 World Cup group stage work? The 48 teams are split into 12 groups of four. The top two from each group advance automatically. The eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups also qualify, meaning 32 teams in total progress to the Round of 32.
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