FIFA World Cup 2026 Full Schedule: All 104 Matches, Dates & Venues

The wait is almost over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and runs all the way through to the Final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19. Across 38 days, 48 teams, 16 host cities, and 104 matches, this is the biggest World Cup in history.

Here is the complete schedule — every group stage match, the knockout bracket timeline, and all 16 host venues.

Key dates at a glance

Watching in the US: TV channels & streaming

All 104 matches are broadcast live in the United States across two networks:

• FOX (free, over-the-air) — 70 matches, including every knockout game from the Round of 16 onwards, the semi-finals, and the Final
• FS1 (Fox Sports 1, cable) — 34 matches, mainly lower-profile group stage games running simultaneously with a featured match on FOX
• Telemundo (free, Spanish-language) — 92 matches
• Universo (cable, Spanish-language) — 12 matches

Streaming — every match streams live and on-demand through:

• FOX One app (free with a TV provider login, or standalone subscription)
• FOX Sports app
• Fubo TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream (all carry FOX and FS1)
• Peacock (via Telemundo’s streaming rights, Spanish commentary)

Quick rule of thumb: If you only have one streaming service, FOX One has every single match. If you already subscribe to Fubo TV or YouTube TV, you’re covered on both FOX and FS1 with no extras needed.

Complete day-by-day schedule

All times are Eastern Time (ET). Kick-off times for late matches on the West Coast and in Mexico often fall after 9 pm ET — plan accordingly.

Thursday, June 11

Friday, June 12

Saturday, June 13

Sunday, June 14

Monday, June 15

Tuesday, June 16

Wednesday, June 17

Thursday, June 18 (Matchday 2 begins)

Friday, June 19

Saturday, June 20

Sunday, June 21

Monday, June 22

Tuesday, June 23

Wednesday, June 24 (Matchday 3 — Groups A, B, C simultaneous)

Thursday, June 25 (Groups D, E, F simultaneous)

Friday, June 26 (Groups G, H, I simultaneous)

Saturday, June 27 (Groups J, K, L simultaneous)

Round of 32 — June 28 to July 3

All 16 Round of 32 ties air on FOX. Match-ups depend on group standings — check foxsports.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/schedule for the confirmed pairings once groups are decided.

Round of 16 — July 4 to July 7 (all on FOX)

Quarter-finals — July 9 to July 11 (all on FOX)

Semi-finals — July 14 & 15 (both on FOX)

Third-place play-off — July 18 (FOX)

The two beaten semi-finalists meet at Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, July 18.

The Final — Sunday, July 19, 3:00 PM ET (FOX)

MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

The 16 host venues

United States (11 stadiums)

Canada (2 stadiums)

Mexico (3 stadiums)

The Final and both semi-finals are hosted in the United States. Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca — the only stadium to have hosted two World Cup finals (1970 and 1986) — hosts the opening match.

Group Stage — All 72 matches

The group stage runs from June 11 to July 2. Each of the 12 groups contains four teams playing a full round-robin: six matches, three matchdays. The top two teams in each group advance automatically. The eight best third-placed teams across all groups also qualify for the Round of 32.

Group A

Teams: 🇲🇽 Mexico · 🇰🇷 South Korea · 🇨🇿 Czechia · 🇿🇦 South Africa

Group context: The hosts get the honour of the opening match — Mexico take on South Korea on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in what will be one of the loudest atmospheres of the entire tournament. Czechia are the dark horse capable of causing an upset, while South Africa carry the hopes of the continent.

Group B

Teams: 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina · 🇶🇦 Qatar · 🇨🇭 Switzerland

Group context: Canada play at home in front of their own fans — expect sell-outs at BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver. Qatar, the 2022 hosts, return as participants rather than tournament organisers. Switzerland are perennial round-of-16 qualifiers and are favourites to advance alongside Canada.

Group C

Teams: 🇧🇷 Brazil · 🇲🇦 Morocco · 🇭🇹 Haiti · 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland

Group context: Brazil are heavy favourites to win Group C. Morocco, the 2022 semi-finalists, are their biggest challengers. The Brazil vs Morocco opener on Matchday 1 is one of the most anticipated group stage clashes of the whole tournament. Haiti and Scotland are fighting for the honour of third-place points.

Group D

Teams: 🇺🇸 United States · 🇵🇾 Paraguay · 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇹🇷 Türkiye

Group context: The United States open at home — every USMNT match will play in front of a sold-out stadium with enormous domestic interest. Türkiye are a dangerous side capable of beating anyone on their day. Australia and Paraguay will compete hard for that second automatic qualifying spot.

Group E

Teams: 🇩🇪 Germany · 🇨🇼 Curaçao · 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast · 🇪🇨 Ecuador

Group context: Germany are the clear favourites having rebuilt after a difficult few years. Ivory Coast qualified on the back of strong AFCON form and will push Ecuador hard for second place. Curaçao — the smallest nation at the tournament — are making their World Cup debut and will be an enormous story regardless of results.

Group F

Teams: 🇳🇱 Netherlands · 🇯🇵 Japan · 🇸🇪 Sweden · 🇹🇳 Tunisia

Group context: One of the most competitive groups of the tournament. Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden are all fully capable of advancing — meaning one of three quality sides goes out in the group stage. Japan have been one of the best Asian sides in recent tournaments and will not be easy to beat.

Group G

Teams: 🇧🇪 Belgium · 🇪🇬 Egypt · 🇮🇷 Iran · 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Group context: Belgium’s golden generation may be ageing but they remain a formidable squad. Egypt — led by Mohamed Salah, almost certainly playing in his last World Cup — will attract huge global attention. The Egypt vs Iran clash on Matchday 3 could be decisive for second place.

Group H

Teams: 🇪🇸 Spain · 🇨🇻 Cape Verde · 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · 🇺🇾 Uruguay

Group context: Spain are one of the tournament favourites. Uruguay — with a new generation led by Darwin Núñez and Rodrigo Bentancur — are their main rival for top spot. The Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay opener is a hugely important match given Saudi Arabia’s 2022 giant-killing pedigree. Cape Verde have punched above their weight in Africa and will not roll over.

Group I

Teams: 🇫🇷 France · 🇸🇳 Senegal · 🇮🇶 Iraq · 🇳🇴 Norway

Group context: France are World Cup favourites and should top the group comfortably. The real contest is for second place between Senegal — the reigning African champions — and a Norway side powered by Erling Haaland. Norway vs France on Matchday 3 could be an enormous match if second place is still undecided.

Group J

Teams: 🇦🇷 Argentina · 🇩🇿 Algeria · 🇦🇹 Austria · 🇯🇴 Jordan

Group context: Argentina — the defending World Cup champions — are among the favourites to go all the way again. This group should see them qualify comfortably. Algeria qualified after a strong campaign and will make life difficult for Austria, who are dangerous opposition. The Argentina vs Algeria opener will attract enormous global viewership.

Group K

Teams: 🇵🇹 Portugal · 🇨🇩 DR Congo · 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan · 🇨🇴 Colombia

Group context: Portugal — with or without Ronaldo in the starting eleven — are a hugely talented squad and clear group favourites. Colombia are their strongest challenger, a team bursting with Premier League talent. DR Congo represent the continent of Africa with serious quality. The Colombia vs Portugal match on Matchday 3 has the makings of a classic.

Group L

Teams: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · 🇭🇷 Croatia · 🇬🇭 Ghana · 🇵🇦 Panama

Group context: England vs Croatia on Matchday 1 is an instant classic in the making — a repeat of the 2018 semi-final that ended England’s run. England are the group favourites but Croatia always find a way to be competitive. Ghana showed at the 2022 World Cup they are no pushover. Panama will be the most physical side in the group.

Knockout Stage — overview

Round of 32 — June 28 to July 3

The Round of 32 is new to the World Cup format in 2026. The 24 group qualifiers (all 12 group winners plus all 12 runners-up) are joined by the 8 best third-placed teams across the 12 groups. This produces 32 teams playing 16 knock-out ties.

Matches are spread across 6 days (June 28 – July 3), with up to 3 games per day across all 16 host venues. All 16 ties broadcast on FOX.

Round of 16 — July 4–7

The 16 winners advance to the Round of 16, played over 4 days from July 4–7. Two matches per day, all on FOX.

Quarter-finals — July 9–11

The eight quarter-finalists play across three days. Venues include Gillette Stadium (Boston), SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), and Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City). All on FOX.

Semi-finals — July 14 & 15

The two semi-finals are split across consecutive days — AT&T Stadium (Dallas) on July 14, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) on July 15. Both on FOX.

Third-place play-off — July 18

The two beaten semi-finalists meet at Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area) on July 18. On FOX.

Final — Sunday, July 19, 3:00 PM ET — FOX

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final takes place on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey — one of the largest football stadiums in the world with a capacity of 82,500. Kick-off is at 3:00 PM ET on FOX.

MetLife Stadium is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, and sits just 9 miles from Midtown Manhattan. It will be the centrepiece of the entire tournament — a World Cup Final in New York City.

Venues hosting knockout matches

While the full venue assignments for group matches are distributed across all 16 host cities, the latter rounds of the tournament are concentrated in the larger US stadiums:

• Final: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
• Semi-finals: MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium (Dallas)
• Quarter-finals: SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), and one further US venue
• Round of 16 and Round of 32: Rotating across all 11 US venues

Predict every result right now

With 104 matches to call — 72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockout rounds — there has never been a harder or more exciting World Cup to predict.

Use our free World Cup 2026 prediction game to fill in every group stage score, watch your bracket build automatically from Round of 32 all the way to your predicted champion, and see who you think lifts the trophy on July 19 in New Jersey. No sign-up required — your predictions save automatically to your browser.