The wait is nearly over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, 2026, and runs through July 19, 2026, making it the biggest sporting event on the planet this summer. Spread across three nations and 16 host cities, the expanded 48-team tournament will feature a record 104 matches over 39 days.
This is the first World Cup hosted in the United States since 1994 (a 32-year gap) and the first-ever tournament co-hosted by three countries. Here’s everything you need to know about the full 2026 World Cup schedule (see how we research and verify our content), including every group, venue, kickoff time, and how to watch.
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2026 World Cup Printable Wall Chart
All 12 groups, key fixtures & full knockout bracket. Print it and follow every game.
⬇ Download Free PDF Wall Chart
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Key Dates at a Glance
| Stage | Dates |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | June 11 – June 27, 2026 |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3, 2026 |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 7, 2026 |
| Quarter-Finals | July 9 – July 10, 2026 |
| Semi-Finals | July 14 – July 15, 2026 |
| Third-Place Play-off | July 18, 2026 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Final | July 19, 2026, 3:00 PM ET – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ |
Opening Matches: June 11–12, 2026
The tournament begins with three host nation openers across three countries in the space of 24 hours:
June 11 | Mexico vs. South Africa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (Opening Match)
June 12 | Canada vs. TBD (UEFA Playoff A Winner) | BMO Field, Toronto
June 12 | USA vs. Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM ET
The opening ceremony will take place ahead of Mexico’s game at the iconic Estadio Azteca, the first stadium in history to host matches at three separate FIFA World Cups (1970, 1986, and 2026). The stadium hosted the finals in both 1970 and 1986.
All 12 Groups: Official Draw Results
The official draw took place on December 5, 2025. As of March 2026, 46 of the 48 spots are confirmed, with 4 UEFA playoff places and 2 intercontinental playoff places still to be decided by late March.
| Group | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Mexico (H) | South Korea | South Africa | UEFA PO-D* |
| B | Canada (H) | Switzerland | Qatar | UEFA PO-A* |
| C | Brazil | Morocco | Haiti | Scotland |
| D | USA (H) | Paraguay | Australia | UEFA PO-C* |
| E | Germany | Ivory Coast | Ecuador | Curaçao ★ |
| F | Netherlands | Japan | Tunisia | UEFA PO-B* |
| G | Belgium | Egypt | Iran | New Zealand |
| H | Spain | Uruguay | Saudi Arabia | Cabo Verde ★ |
| I | France | Senegal | Norway | IC Playoff 2* |
| J | Argentina | Algeria | Austria | Jordan ★ |
| K | Portugal | Colombia | Uzbekistan ★ | IC Playoff 1* |
| L | England | Croatia | Ghana | Panama |
* = Playoff spot, to be decided March 26–31, 2026. ★ = World Cup debut.
First-time qualifiers: Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all make their FIFA World Cup debuts in 2026. Four new nations on the biggest stage.
USMNT Schedule: Group D
The United States is in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of UEFA Playoff Path C (Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo). All three US group matches are on home soil.
| Match | Opponent | Date | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Paraguay | June 12 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| Game 2 | Australia | June 19 | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM |
| Game 3 | UEFA PO-C Winner | June 25 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 10:00 PM |
Worth Noting
If the USMNT tops their group, a potential Round of 16 or Quarter-Final match could fall on July 4th (Independence Day). A knockout-stage World Cup game on American soil on the Fourth of July would be one of the biggest moments in US soccer history.
Group Stage Schedule: Key Fixtures
June 12
| USA vs. Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM ET |
| Brazil vs. Morocco | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford | 6:00 PM ET |
| Scotland vs. Haiti | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough | 9:00 PM ET |
June 13
| Germany vs. Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston | 1:00 PM ET |
| Netherlands vs. Japan | AT&T Stadium, Arlington | 4:00 PM ET |
| Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 7:00 PM ET |
June 14
| Spain vs. Cabo Verde | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 12:00 PM ET |
| Belgium vs. Egypt | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM ET |
| France vs. Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford | 3:00 PM ET |
| England vs. Croatia | AT&T Stadium, Arlington | 4:00 PM ET |
| Argentina vs. Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 9:00 PM ET |
Full day-by-day schedule for all 104 matches available in the downloadable wall chart above.
How the New 48-Team Format Works
This is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from 32 at every tournament since 1998. The format change introduces several new elements:
| Element | Qatar 2022 | 2026 World Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Total teams | 32 | 48 (+50%) |
| Groups | 8 groups of 4 | 12 groups of 4 |
| Total matches | 64 | 104 (+63%) |
| Advancement rule | Top 2 per group (16 teams) | Top 2 + 8 best 3rd-place (32 teams) |
| Knockout rounds | R16, QF, SF, Final | R32, R16, QF, SF, Final |
| Games to win title | 7 | 8 |
| Duration | 29 days | 39 days |
| Host countries | 1 (Qatar) | 3 (first ever tri-nation host) |
The brand-new Round of 32 sits between the group stage and the traditional Round of 16, meaning teams must win one extra knockout match to lift the trophy. Third-place advancement is ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, which makes dead-rubber final group matches far less likely.
All 16 Stadiums & Venues
Matches will be played at 16 existing stadiums across the three host nations. No new stadiums were built for this tournament. Eight of the 16 venues required converting from artificial turf to natural grass to meet FIFA regulations.
United States (11 Venues, 78 Matches)
| Stadium | City | Capacity | Highest Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | 87,157 | FINAL |
| AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX | 92,967 | Semi-Final |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA | 75,000 | Semi-Final |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, FL | 67,518 | 3rd Place Match |
| SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA | 70,240 | Quarter-Final |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO | 76,640 | Quarter-Final |
| Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA | 65,878 | Quarter-Final |
| Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | 69,000 | Round of 16 |
| NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | 72,220 | Round of 16 |
| Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA | 69,328 | Round of 16 |
| Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, CA | 70,909 | Round of 32 |
Mexico (3 Venues, 13 Matches)
| Stadium | City | Capacity | Highest Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | 87,523 | Round of 16 (Opening Match) |
| Estadio Akron | Guadalajara | 48,071 | Group Stage |
| Estadio BBVA | Monterrey | 53,460 | Round of 32 |
Canada (2 Venues, 13 Matches)
| Stadium | City | Capacity | Highest Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMO Field | Toronto, ON | 45,736 | Round of 32 |
| BC Place | Vancouver, BC | 54,500 | Round of 16 |
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup in the US
All 104 matches will be broadcast in the United States. Here’s where to find them:
| Network / Service | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FOX | 70 matches | Primary English-language broadcaster |
| FS1 | 34 matches | Overflow channel |
| Tubi | 2 matches + opening ceremony | FREE, includes 4K streaming |
| Telemundo | 92 matches | Spanish-language |
| Universo | 12 matches | Spanish-language overflow |
| Peacock | All 104 (Spanish) | Streaming (subscription required) |
| FIFA+ | Highlights & replays | Free (no live matches) |
Free 4K Streaming
Tubi will simulcast the Mexico vs. South Africa opening match and the USA vs. Paraguay opener in 4K for free, making this the first World Cup with free 4K streaming in the US. No subscription required.
Time Zone Guide
With host cities stretching from Vancouver to Miami, kickoff times span three US time zones plus Mexico’s Central zone. Here’s how venues map to time zones during June–July (daylight saving time):
| Time Zone | Venues in This Zone | UTC Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific (PT) | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver | UTC–7 |
| Central (CT) | Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey | UTC–5 |
| Eastern (ET) | Atlanta, Boston, Miami, East Rutherford (NYC), Philadelphia, Toronto | UTC–4 |
Standard Kickoff Windows (Group Stage)
| Eastern (ET) | Central (CT) | Pacific (PT) | UK (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 11:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 2:00 AM (+1) |
Why This World Cup Is Historic
The 2026 tournament sets records before a ball is even kicked:
- First 48-team World Cup in history (expanded from 32, the format used since 1998)
- First tri-nation host: three countries sharing hosting duties is unprecedented
- First World Cup in the US since 1994 (32-year gap)
- Mexico hosting for a record third time (1970, 1986, 2026)
- Canada hosting for the first time ever
- Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium to host matches at three different World Cups
- 104 matches: the most in World Cup history (up from 64 in 2022)
- Four debut nations: Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan
2026 World Cup Final: MetLife Stadium
The tournament closes on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets (check out our Super Bowl Squares guide for more NFL content), and one of the largest stadiums in North America with a capacity of 87,157.
MetLife will host the first-ever World Cup Final halftime show, a move FIFA hopes will attract casual viewers and expand global viewership. For the tournament, the stadium has been officially renamed “New York New Jersey Stadium” under FIFA’s commercial naming policy, a temporary rebrand that strips sponsor names from all 16 venues during the event.
Natural grass has been installed specially for the tournament, grown at Tuckahoe Turf Farms in New Jersey and transported in 23 truckloads (roughly 8,500 square meters of turf). A new irrigation system, backup water tanks, and ventilation system were added to maintain the playing surface throughout the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: March 6, 2026. All times Eastern (ET) unless stated. Schedule subject to change per FIFA. Remaining playoff spots (4 UEFA, 2 intercontinental) will be finalized by March 31, 2026. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.
