FIFA World Cup 2026: Full Schedule, Key Dates, and All 104 Matches

The countdown to football’s greatest spectacle has officially begun. The FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to be an unprecedented event, shattering records as the largest and most ambitious tournament in the history of the sport.

For the first time ever, 48 teams will compete for the ultimate prize, bringing more matches, higher stakes, and non-stop drama across three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Navigating a massive 39-day tournament featuring 104 matches across multiple time zones can be daunting. To help you stay on top of the action, we have compiled the ultimate tournament guide, including key stage dates and the complete day-by-day match schedule.

2026 World Cup: Key Tournament Dates

With an expanded format, the tournament structure has shifted. The knockout phase will now feature a brand-new Round of 32, meaning the top two teams from each group alongside the eight best third-placed teams will advance.

Fans will get virtually no breathing room: there are only five rest days scheduled for the entire tournament (July 8, 12, 13, 16, and 17), with zero days off until the Round of 16 concludes.

Group Stage: June 11 – 27, 2026
Round of 32: June 28 – July 3, 2026
Round of 16: July 4 – 7, 2026
Quarter-finals: July 9 – 11, 2026
Semi-finals: July 14 – 15, 2026
Third-Place Play-off: July 18, 2026
World Cup Final: July 19, 2026

The Opening Matches: History Reclaimed

The tournament kicks off on Thursday, June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City—the legendary ground where Diego Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986. In a fitting historical parallel to 2010, Mexico will clash with South Africa in the opening match.

The other host nations begin their campaigns the following day on Friday, June 12, with Canada taking the pitch in Toronto, and the United States opening at the spectacular SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against Paraguay.

Full 2026 World Cup Day-by-Day Schedule

Note: All kickoff times are listed in Central European Summer Time (CEST / EU Time).

Group Stage: Matchday 1 (June 11–18)

Thursday, June 11
- Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa (21:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Friday, June 12
- Group A: South Korea vs. Czech Republic (04:00) – Guadalajara, Mexico
- Group B: Canada vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina (21:00) – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 13
- Group D: USA vs. Paraguay (02:00) – Los Angeles, USA
- Group B: Qatar vs. Switzerland (21:00) – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Sunday, June 14
- Group C: Brazil vs. Morocco (00:00) – New Jersey, USA
- Group C: Haiti vs. Scotland (03:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
- Group D: Australia vs. Turkey (06:00) – Vancouver, Canada
- Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (19:00) – Houston, USA
- Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (22:00) – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Monday, June 15
- Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (01:00) – Philadelphia, USA
- Group F: Sweden vs. Tunisia (04:00) – Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
- Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde (18:00) – Atlanta, USA
- Group G: Belgium vs. Egypt (21:00) – Seattle, USA
Tuesday, June 16
- Group H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (00:00) – Miami, USA
- Group G: Iran vs. New Zealand (03:00) – Los Angeles, USA
- Group I: France vs. Senegal (21:00) – New Jersey, USA
Wednesday, June 17
- Group I: Iraq vs. Norway (00:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
- Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria (03:00) – Kansas City, USA
- Group J: Austria vs. Jordan (06:00) – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
- Group K: Portugal vs. DR Congo (19:00) – Houston, USA
- Group L: England vs. Croatia (22:00) – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Thursday, June 18
- Group L: Ghana vs. Panama (01:00) – Toronto, Canada
- Group K: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (04:00) – Mexico City, Mexico

Group Stage: Matchday 2 (June 18–24)

Thursday, June 18
- Group A: Czech Republic vs. South Africa (18:00) – Atlanta, USA
- Group B: Switzerland vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina (21:00) – Los Angeles, USA
Friday, June 19
- Group B: Canada vs. Qatar (00:00) – Vancouver, Canada
- Group A: Mexico vs. South Korea (03:00) – Guadalajara, Mexico
- Group D: USA vs. Australia (21:00) – Seattle, USA
Saturday, June 20
- Group C: Scotland vs. Morocco (00:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
- Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti (03:00) – Philadelphia, USA
- Group D: Turkey vs. Paraguay (06:00) – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
- Group F: Netherlands vs. Sweden (19:00) – Houston, USA
- Group E: Germany vs. Ivory Coast (22:00) – Toronto, Canada
Sunday, June 21
- Group E: Ecuador vs. Curaçao (02:00) – Kansas City, USA
- Group F: Tunisia vs. Japan (06:00) – Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
- Group H: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (18:00) – Atlanta, USA
- Group G: Belgium vs. Iran (21:00) – Los Angeles, USA
Monday, June 22
- Group H: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (00:00) – Miami, USA
- Group G: New Zealand vs. Egypt (03:00) – Vancouver, Canada
- Group J: Argentina vs. Austria (19:00) – Arlington (Dallas), USA
- Group I: France vs. Iraq (23:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Tuesday, June 23
- Group I: Norway vs. Senegal (02:00) – Toronto, Canada
- Group J: Jordan vs. Algeria (05:00) – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
- Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (19:00) – Houston, USA
- Group L: England vs. Ghana (22:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Wednesday, June 24
- Group L: Panama vs. Croatia (01:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
- Group K: Colombia vs. DR Congo (04:00) – Guadalajara, Mexico

Group Stage: Matchday 3 (June 24–28)

Wednesday, June 24
- Group B: Switzerland vs. Canada (21:00) – Vancouver, Canada
- Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Qatar (21:00) – Seattle, USA
Thursday, June 25
- Group C: Morocco vs. Haiti (00:00) – Atlanta, USA
- Group C: Scotland vs. Brazil (00:00) – Miami, USA
- Group A: Czech Republic vs. Mexico (03:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
- Group A: South Africa vs. South Korea (03:00) – Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
- Group E: Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (22:00) – Philadelphia, USA
- Group E: Ecuador vs. Germany (22:00) – New Jersey, USA
Friday, June 26
- Group F: Japan vs. Sweden (01:00) – Arlington (Dallas), USA
- Group F: Tunisia vs. Netherlands (01:00) – Kansas City, USA
- Group D: Turkey vs. USA (04:00) – Los Angeles, USA
- Group D: Paraguay vs. Australia (04:00) – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
- Group I: Norway vs. France (21:00) – Foxborough (Boston), USA
- Group I: Senegal vs. Iraq (21:00) – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 27
- Group H: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (02:00) – Houston, USA
- Group H: Uruguay vs. Spain (02:00) – Guadalajara, Mexico
- Group G: New Zealand vs. Belgium (05:00) – Vancouver, Canada
- Group G: Egypt vs. Iran (05:00) – Seattle, USA
- Group L: Panama vs. England (23:00) – New Jersey, USA
- Group L: Croatia vs. Ghana (23:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, June 28
- Group K: Colombia vs. Portugal (01:30) – Miami, USA
- Group K: DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan (01:30) – Atlanta, USA
- Group J: Algeria vs. Austria (04:00) – Kansas City, USA
- Group J: Jordan vs. Argentina (04:00) – Arlington (Dallas), USA

Knockout Stages Schedule

Round of 32 (June 28 – July 4)

Sunday, June 28
- 21:00 – Group A Runners-up vs. Group B Runners-up (Match 73) – Los Angeles, USA
Monday, June 29
- 19:00 – Group C Winners vs. Group F Runners-up (Match 76) – Houston, USA
- 22:30 – Group E Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 74) – Boston, USA
Tuesday, June 30
- 03:00 – Group F Winners vs. Group C Runners-up (Match 75) – Monterrey, Mexico
- 19:00 – Group E Runners-up vs. Group I Runners-up (Match 78) – Dallas, USA
- 23:00 – Group I Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 77) – New York City, USA
Wednesday, July 1
- 03:00 – Group A Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 79) – Mexico City, Mexico
- 18:00 – Group L Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 80) – Atlanta, USA
- 22:00 – Group G Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 82) – Seattle, USA
Thursday, July 2
- 02:00 – Group D Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 81) – San Francisco, USA
- 21:00 – Group H Winners vs. Group J Runners-up (Match 84) – Los Angeles, USA
Friday, July 3
- 01:00 – Group K Runners-up vs. Group L Runners-up (Match 83) – Toronto, Canada
- 05:00 – Group B Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 85) – Vancouver, Canada
- 20:00 – Group J Winners vs. Group H Runners-up (Match 88) – Dallas, USA
Saturday, July 4
- 00:00 – Group D Runners-up vs. Group G Runners-up (Match 86) – Miami, USA
- 02:30 – Group K Winners vs. Best 3rd Place (Match 87) – Vancouver, Canada

Round of 16 (July 4–7)

Saturday, July 4
- 19:00 – Winner Match 73 vs. Winner Match 75 (Match 90) – Houston, USA
- 23:00 – Winner Match 74 vs. Winner Match 77 (Match 89) – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, July 5
- 22:00 – Winner Match 76 vs. Winner Match 78 (Match 91) – New York City, USA
Monday, July 6
- 02:00 – Winner Match 79 vs. Winner Match 80 (Match 92) – Mexico City, Mexico
- 21:00 – Winner Match 83 vs. Winner Match 84 (Match 93) – Dallas, USA
Tuesday, July 7
- 02:00 – Winner Match 81 vs. Winner Match 82 (Match 94) – Seattle, USA
- 18:00 – Winner Match 86 vs. Winner Match 88 (Match 95) – Atlanta, USA
- 22:00 – Winner Match 85 vs. Winner Match 87 (Match 96) – Vancouver, Canada

Quarter-Finals (July 9–12)

Thursday, July 9
- 22:00 – Winner Match 89 vs. Winner Match 90 (Match 97) – Boston, USA
Friday, July 10
- 21:00 – Winner Match 93 vs. Winner Match 94 (Match 98) – Los Angeles, USA
Saturday, July 11
- 23:00 – Winner Match 95 vs. Winner Match 96 (Match 99) – Miami, USA
Sunday, July 12
- 03:00 – Winner Match 91 vs. Winner Match 92 (Match 100) – Kansas City, USA

Semi-Finals (July 14–15)

Tuesday, July 14
- 21:00 – Winner Match 97 vs. Winner Match 98 (Match 101) – Dallas, USA
Wednesday, July 15
- 21:00 – Winner Match 99 vs. Winner 100 (Match 102) – Atlanta, USA

Third-Place Play-Off

Saturday, July 18
- 23:00 – Loser Match 101 vs. Loser Match 102 (Match 103) – Miami, USA

World Cup Final

Sunday, July 19
- 21:00 – Winner Match 101 vs. Winner Match 102 (Match 104) – New York / New Jersey Stadium

Stay Tuned: Bookmark this page to track your favorite nations as they advance through this historic cross-continent tournament!

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