World Cup 2026 Schedule: Every Match, Date, and Venue Across 16 Cities

World Cup 2026 Schedule: Every Match, Date, and Venue Across 16 Cities

The 2026 FIFA World Cup spans 39 days, 16 venues, 3 countries, and 104 matches. It is the longest and most geographically spread World Cup in history. Whether you're planning to attend matches in person or following…

The 2026 FIFA World Cup spans 39 days, 16 venues, 3 countries, and 104 matches. It is the longest and most geographically spread World Cup in history. Whether you're planning to attend matches in person or following from home across multiple time zones, understanding the schedule is essential.

Here is the complete breakdown of the tournament calendar, organized by stage and region.

Tournament Overview

- **Duration:** June 11 – July 19, 2026 (39 days) - **Total matches:** 104 - **Group stage:** June 11 – June 25 (three matchdays) - **Round of 32:** June 28 – July 1 - **Round of 16:** July 3 – July 5 - **Quarterfinals:** July 9 – July 11 - **Semifinals:** July 14 – July 15 - **Third-place match:** July 18 - **Final:** July 19

Opening Day — June 11

The tournament opens with a historic fixture:

**Mexico vs. South Africa** — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — 3:00 PM ET

This is a replay of the 2010 World Cup opener in Johannesburg. Mexico host at the Azteca, one of football's most iconic venues, which has hosted two previous World Cup finals (1970, 1986).

Later that day, **South Korea vs. Czechia** plays in Guadalajara, completing the Group A first matchday.

Host Nation Openers — June 12

All three host nations play their opening matches:

- **Canada vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina** — BMO Field, Toronto - **United States vs. Paraguay** — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

The US opener at SoFi Stadium (capacity 70,000+) is expected to be one of the highest-attended matches of the tournament. Canada's opener at BMO Field gives the co-hosts an intimate home advantage in downtown Toronto.

The 16 Venues

The tournament is spread across three countries and three geographic regions:

United States (11 cities, 78 matches)

**Eastern Region:** - MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey — hosts the **Final** (July 19) - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta - Gillette Stadium, Foxboro (Boston area) - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

**Central Region:** - AT&T Stadium, Dallas - NRG Stadium, Houston - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

**Western Region:** - SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles — hosts USA's group matches - Levi's Stadium, San Francisco (Bay Area) - Lumen Field, Seattle

Mexico (3 cities, 13 matches)

- Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — hosts the **Opening Match** - Estadio Akron, Guadalajara - Estadio BBVA, Monterrey

Canada (2 cities, 13 matches)

- BMO Field, Toronto — hosts Canada's group matches - BC Place, Vancouver

Group Stage Structure

The 48 teams play three matches each over 15 days (June 11–25). With 12 groups and four teams per group, there are 36 group stage matchdays worth of fixtures — six matches per day on most days.

**Matchday 1:** June 11–14 (all 48 teams play once) **Matchday 2:** June 17–20 (all 48 teams play their second match) **Matchday 3:** June 23–25 (final group matches, simultaneous kickoffs within each group)

The simultaneous kickoff rule for final group matches — introduced to prevent collusion after the 1982 "Disgrace of Gijón" — applies to all 12 groups. On the final matchday, both matches in each group kick off at the same time.

Key Group Stage Fixtures

Several group stage matches stand out as must-watch fixtures:

- **Brazil vs. Morocco** (Group C) — June 13, MetLife Stadium — a rematch of a potential classic, Morocco's 2022 run gives this fixture genuine tension - **Argentina vs. Portugal** (Group F) — potentially Messi vs. Ronaldo for the last time in a World Cup - **Germany vs. Japan** (Group E) — a 2022 rematch with psychological weight for Germany - **England vs. Croatia** (Group L) — 2018 semifinal rematch - **USA vs. Türkiye** (Group D) — the co-hosts face a tough European qualifier - **France vs. Senegal** (Group I) — the 2002 World Cup opener reversed, Senegal stunned France then

For AI-powered predictions on every group stage match, visit our [predictions page](/en/predictions).

Knockout Stage Schedule

The knockout stage introduces the new Round of 32 — the most significant format change from previous World Cups.

Round of 32 (June 28 – July 1)

Sixteen matches over four days. Group winners are paired against the best third-placed teams, while group runners-up face each other. The bracket is predetermined based on group position, meaning the draw determines not just who you play in the group stage but your entire potential path to the final.

Round of 16 (July 3 – July 5)

Eight matches over three days. The tournament begins to consolidate geographically, with matches concentrated in US venues.

Quarterfinals (July 9 – July 11)

Four matches. By this stage, only eight teams remain. Historic quarterfinal venues include MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium.

Semifinals (July 14 – July 15)

Two matches. The pathway system ensures that the top four seeded teams (Spain, Argentina, France, England) can only meet at this stage or later — assuming they've won their groups.

Final (July 19)

**MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey** — capacity 82,500 for the final configuration. The largest World Cup final venue since the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl (also in the US).

Time Zones and Viewing

The three host countries span five time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and Mexico City's Central Standard Time). Match kickoff times are scheduled primarily for US prime-time viewing, but the geographic spread means that some matches will kick off at inconvenient hours for international audiences.

For European viewers, most matches kick off between 6 PM and 3 AM CET — earlier group stage matches are viewable in the evening, but late West Coast kickoffs will run past midnight.

For South American and African viewers, the schedule is generally favorable, with most matches falling in afternoon and evening hours.

What to Watch For

The 2026 schedule is designed to build momentum. The opening week features all 48 teams playing at least once, giving viewers immediate exposure to every group. The middle week intensifies with second-round group matches determining early favorites. And the final group matchday — with simultaneous kickoffs — produces the drama that defines World Cup group stages.

The Round of 32 is the format's wild card. Four extra knockout matches mean four additional opportunities for upsets, and the best third-placed teams entering the bracket as underdogs could produce iconic moments.

For the complete fixture list with AI predictions for every match, visit our [fixtures page](/en/fixtures). For group-by-group analysis, see our [groups page](/en/groups).

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*Follow every match with AI-powered predictions at [Match Predicts](/en/predictions). Explore all [48 teams](/en/teams) and [group standings](/en/groups).*

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