⚽ 2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule: Full Match Dates, Groups, and Knockout Rounds
The 2026 World Cup schedule features the most ambitious in FIFA history, spanning 39 days and 104 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Play from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City opens play on June 11, 2026, with the final from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., slated for July 19, 2026.
With an expanded 48-team field, and a new knockout phase (the Round of 32), the logistics spanning three countries from coast-to-coast are a marvel. Our guide to the 2026 World Cup schedule is your complete roadmap to the year's biggest soccer tournament.
📅 Key dates
There are a couple of key dates left on the docket before the tournament proper gets underway, as six teams are still left to be decided to fill out the groups.
The final teams
Four UEFA teams are still be decided, via Paths A-D, and two inter-confederation teams will round out the field, via Pathway 1 and 2. The semifinals for these teams will be held on March 26, with the finals on March 31.
The tournament proper
Group Stage play will be split across three matchdays spread across a number of dates:
- Matchday 1: June 11-17, 2026
- Matchday 2: June 18-23, 2026
- Matchday 3: June 24-27, 2026
Knockout Stages
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3, 2026
- Round of 16: July 4-7, 2026
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11, 2026
- Semifinals: July 14-15, 2026
- Match for third place: July 18, 2026
- Final: July 19, 2026
🎟️ Last minute tickets?
If you haven't scored tickets yet to the event, but you're thinking you want to catch some of the best football the planet has to offer, there will be a batch of last-minute tickets available via FIFA in early April. Try your luck over at FIFA.com/tickets.
🏟️ Matchday schedules by group
Bringing us daily action from June 11 through June 27, here's a look at the at the three matchdays by group.
Matchday 1 -> June 11-17 featuring pairings 1 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 4
- June 11: Group A
- June 12: Group B & Group D
- June 13: Group B, Group C & Group D
- June 14: Group E & Group F
- June 15: Group G & Group H
- June 16: Group I & Group J
- June 17: Group K & Group L
Matchday 2 -> June 18-23 featuring pairings 1 vs. 3 and 2 vs. 4
- June 18: Group A & Group B
- June 19: Group C & Group D
- June 20: Group E & Group F
- June 21: Group G & Group H
- June 22: Group I & Group J
- June 23: Group K & Group L
Matchday 3 -> June 24-27 featuring pairings 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3
- June 24: Group A, Group B & Group C
- June 25: Group D, Group E & Group F
- June 26: Group G, Group H & Group I
- June 27: Group J, Group K & Group L
✈️ Racking up frequent flyer points
Because of the size of the host countries, some teams will have to travel more than 6,400 miles in the Group Stage alone!
🏆 Knockout round schedule
Round of 32 schedule and venues
The top two teams from each of the groups will advance to the knockout stage, and eight of the third placed teams will fill out the Round of 32. With the expanded field, this is a new round.
| Date (Time) | Match # | Team A | Team B | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 28 (noon ET) | 73 | Runner-up Group A | Runner-up Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) |
| June 29 (noon ET) | 76 | Winner Group C | Runner-up Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston) |
| June 29 (4:30 p.m. ET) | 74 | Winner Group E | 3rd place Group A/B/C/D/F | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.) |
| June 29 (7 p.m. ET) | 75 | Winner Group F | Runner-up Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, Mexico) |
| June 30 (noon ET) | 78 | Runner-up Group E | Runner-up Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) |
| June 30 (5 p.m. ET) | 77 | Winner Group I | 3rd place Group C/D/F/G/H | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) |
| June 30 (7 p.m. ET) | 79 | Winner Group A | 3rd place Group C/E/F/H/I | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) |
| July 1 (noon ET) | 80 | Winner Group L | 3rd place Group E/H/I/J/K | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) |
| July 1 (1 p.m. ET) | 82 | Winner Group G | 3rd place Group A/E/H/I/J | Lumen Field (Seattle) |
| July 1 (5 p.m. ET) | 81 | Winner Group D | 3rd place Group B/E/F/I/J | Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.) |
| July 2 (noon ET) | 84 | Winner Group H | Runner-up Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) |
| July 2 (7 p.m. ET) | 83 | Runner-up Group K | Runner-up Group L | BMO Field (Toronto) |
| July 2 (8 p.m. ET) | 85 | Winner Group B | 3rd place Group E/F/G/I/J | BC Place (Vancouver) |
| July 3 (1 p.m. ET) | 88 | Runner-up Group D | Runner-up Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) |
| July 3 (6 p.m. ET) | 86 | Winner Group J | Runner-up Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.) |
| July 3 (8:30 p.m. ET) | 87 | Winner Group K | 3rd place Group D/E/I/J/L | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.) |
Round of 16 schedule and venues
The winners from the Round of 32 will comprise the final 16 teams regardless of how they finished following the Group Stage. The schedule for the Round of 16 is as follows:
| Date (Time) | Match # | Team A | Team B | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 4 (noon ET) | 90 | Winner Match 73 | Winner Match 75 | NRG Stadium (Houston) |
| July 4 (5 p.m. ET) | 89 | Winner Match 74 | Winner Match 77 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) |
| July 5 (4 p.m. ET) | 91 | Winner Match 76 | Winner Match 78 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) |
| July 5 (6 p.m. ET) | 92 | Winner Match 79 | Winner Match 80 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) |
| July 6 (2 p.m. ET) | 93 | Winner Match 83 | Winner March 84 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) |
| July 6 (5 p.m. ET) | 94 | Winner Match 81 | Winner Match 82 | Lumen Field (Seattle) |
| July 7 (noon ET) | 95 | Winner Match 86 | Winner March 88 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) |
| July 7 (1 p.m. ET) | 96 | Winner Match 85 | Winner Match 87 | BC Place (Vancouver) |
Quarterfinals
The Round of 16 will wittle the field down to the final eight teams. The four quarterfinals game are as follows:
| Date (Time) | Match # | Team A | Team B | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9 (4 p.m. ET) | 97 | Winner March 89 | Winner Match 90 | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.) |
| July 10 (noon ET) | 98 | Winner Match 93 | Winner Match 94 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.) |
| July 11 (5 p.m .ET) | 99 | Winner Match 91 | Winner Match 92 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.) |
| July 11 (8 p.m. ET) | 100 | Winner Match 95 | Winner Match 96 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Mo.) |
Semifinals and final games
The final four teams will meet in the semifinals. The two winners will clash in the final, the two losers will battle in the the match for third place.
| Date (Time) | Match # | Team A | Team B | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14 (2 p.m. ET) | 101 | Winner Match 97 | Winner Match 98 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) |
| July 15 (3 p.m. ET) | 102 | Winner Match 99 | Winner Match 100 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) |
Match for third place (July 18, 5 p.m. ET): Loser Match 101 vs. Loser Match 102 at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
Final (July 19, 3 p.m. ET): Winner Match 101 vs. Winner Match 102 at MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
⚽ 2026 World Cup qualified teams and groups
There are 48 teams vying to win the 2026 World Cup, broken into their 12 groups.
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Path D winner
- Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, UEFA Path A winner
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Path C winner
- Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Path B winner
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zeland
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, IC Path 2 winner
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, IC Path 1 winner
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The final six spots
Six spots remain, with their Group Stage opponents already set. All six final teams will be settled on March, 31, 2026.
- UEFA Path A: Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland
- UEFA Path B: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania
- UEFA Path C: Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey, Romania
- UEFA Path D: Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, North Macedonia
- IC Path 1: New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo
- IC Path 2: Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq
❓ 2026 World Cup FAQs
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11. The first two games of the tournament are Mexico vs. South Africa at Estadio Azteca and South Korea vs. UEFA Path D winner at Estadio Akron.
When is the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 World Cup final is on July 19. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is the location for the game.
Where is the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 will be held at 16 venues throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup?
Spain is the betting favorite to win the 2026 World Cup.
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