FIFA World Cup schedule 2026: Complete match dates, times, team fixtures for soccer tournament

World Cup 2026 expands to 48 teams across USA, Canada and Mexico. Bettors should note the top-four ranked sides (Spain, Argentina, France, England) are separated into different bracket quadrants — heavyweights less likely to meet early, increasing value in favorites to reach semifinals. Consider backing those top seeds for deep runs and looking for value bets on host nations (USA, Mexico, Canada) that could overperform at home.

World Cup 2026: A bigger, continental showcase

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams and the first finals staged across three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expanded format increases group-stage games and creates new pathways to the knockout rounds, promising more drama, upsets and betting markets than ever before.

Tournament format — what changes for teams and bettors

48 teams, 12 groups

Teams are split into 12 groups of four. The top two in each group advance, along with the eight best third-place finishers, creating a 32-team knockout bracket. From the Round of 32 forward, the tournament uses traditional single-elimination ties.

Seeding and bracket protection

FIFA placed the world's top four-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France and England — on opposite sides of the bracket so they cannot clash in early rounds. That separation reduces the chance of blockbuster early matchups and supports conservative betting strategies on elite sides advancing deep.

Hosts and venues — home advantage matters

Matches are spread across marquee stadiums in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Home crowds and travel logistics will be key variables; bookmakers and sharp bettors should factor host-nation form and localized support into lines, especially in group-stage and Round of 32 fixtures.

Group-stage draw overview

The draw placed the hosts in preassigned group slots: Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B) and the USA (Group D). Many groups feature a blend of heavyweights, regional challengers and playoff winners, creating plenty of tactical and betting intrigue.

Group-by-group fixtures (kickoff times ET and venues)

Group A

Thu, Jun. 11 — 3 p.m. — Mexico vs. South Africa — Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX)

Thu, Jun. 11 — 10 p.m. — South Korea vs. UEFA Playoff D winner — Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX)

Thu, Jun. 18 — 12 p.m. — UEFA Playoff D winner vs. South Africa — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Thu, Jun. 18 — 9 p.m. — Mexico vs. South Korea — Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 9 p.m. — UEFA Playoff D winner vs. Mexico — Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 9 p.m. — South Africa vs. South Korea — Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX)

Group B

Fri, Jun. 12 — 3 p.m. — Canada vs. UEFA Playoff A winner — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Sat, Jun. 13 — 3 p.m. — Qatar vs. Switzerland — Levi's Stadium (San Francisco, CA)

Thu, Jun. 18 — 3 p.m. — UEFA Playoff A winner vs. Switzerland — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Thu, Jun. 18 — 6 p.m. — Canada vs. Qatar — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 3 p.m. — Switzerland vs. Canada — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 3 p.m. — UEFA Playoff A winner vs. Qatar — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Group C

Sat, Jun. 13 — 6 p.m. — Brazil vs. Morocco — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Sat, Jun. 13 — 9 p.m. — Haiti vs. Scotland — Gillette Stadium (Boston, MA)

Fri, Jun. 19 — 6 p.m. — Scotland vs. Morocco — Gillette Stadium (Boston, MA)

Fri, Jun. 19 — 9 p.m. — Brazil vs. Haiti — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 6 p.m. — Scotland vs. Brazil — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)

Wed, Jun. 24 — 6 p.m. — Morocco vs. Haiti — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Group D

Fri, Jun. 12 — 9 p.m. — United States vs. Paraguay — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Sat, Jun. 13 — 12 a.m. — Australia vs. UEFA Playoff C winner — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Fri, Jun. 19 — 3 p.m. — United States vs. Australia — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Sat, Jun. 20 — 12 a.m. — UEFA Playoff C winner vs. Paraguay — Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 10 p.m. — UEFA Playoff C winner vs. United States — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 10 p.m. — Paraguay vs. Australia — Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

Group E

Sun, Jun. 14 — 1 p.m. — Germany vs. Curacao — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Sun, Jun. 14 — 7 p.m. — Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Sat, Jun. 20 — 4 p.m. — Germany vs. Ivory Coast — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Sat, Jun. 20 — 8 p.m. — Ecuador vs. Curacao — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 4 p.m. — Ecuador vs. Germany — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 4 p.m. — Curacao vs. Ivory Coast — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Group F

Sun, Jun. 14 — 4 p.m. — Netherlands vs. Japan — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Sun, Jun. 14 — 10 p.m. — UEFA Playoff B winner vs. Tunisia — Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX)

Sat, Jun. 20 — 1 p.m. — Netherlands vs. UEFA Playoff B winner — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Sun, Jun. 21 — 12 a.m. — Tunisia vs. Japan — Estadio BBVA (Monterrey, MEX)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 7 p.m. — Tunisia vs. Netherlands — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Thu, Jun. 25 — 7 p.m. — Japan vs. UEFA Playoff B winner — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Group G

Mon, Jun. 15 — 3 p.m. — Belgium vs. Egypt — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Mon, Jun. 15 — 9 p.m. — Iran vs. New Zealand — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Sun, Jun. 21 — 3 p.m. — Belgium vs. Iran — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Sun, Jun. 21 — 9 p.m. — New Zealand vs. Egypt — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 11 p.m. — New Zealand vs. Belgium — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 11 p.m. — Egypt vs. Iran — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Group H

Mon, Jun. 15 — 12 p.m. — Spain vs. Cape Verde — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Mon, Jun. 15 — 6 p.m. — Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Sun, Jun. 21 — 12 p.m. — Spain vs. Saudi Arabia — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Sun, Jun. 21 — 6 p.m. — Uruguay vs. Cape Verde — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 8 p.m. — Uruguay vs. Spain — Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 8 p.m. — Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Group I

Tue, Jun. 16 — 3 p.m. — France vs. Senegal — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Tue, Jun. 16 — 6 p.m. — FIFA Playoff 2 winner vs. Norway — Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)

Mon, Jun. 22 — 5 p.m. — France vs. Playoff 2 winner — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Mon, Jun. 22 — 8 p.m. — Norway vs. Senegal — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 3 p.m. — Norway vs. France — Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)

Fri, Jun. 26 — 3 p.m. — Senegal vs. FIFA Playoff 2 winner — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Group J

Tue, Jun. 16 — 9 p.m. — Argentina vs. Algeria — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Tue, Jun. 17 — 12 a.m. — Austria vs. Jordan — Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

Mon, Jun. 22 — 1 p.m. — Argentina vs. Austria — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Mon, Jun. 22 — 11 p.m. — Jordan vs. Algeria — Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 10 p.m. — Jordan vs. Argentina — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 10 p.m. — Algeria vs. Austria — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Group K

Wed, Jun. 17 — 1 p.m. — Portugal vs. TBD — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Wed, Jun. 17 — 10 p.m. — Uzbekistan vs. Colombia — Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX)

Tue, Jun. 23 — 1 p.m. — Portugal vs. Uzbekistan — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Tue, Jun. 23 — 10 p.m. — Colombia vs. TBD — Estadio Akron (Guadalajara, MEX)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 7:30 p.m. — Colombia vs. Portugal — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 7:30 p.m. — TBD vs. Uzbekistan — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Group L

Wed, Jun. 17 — 4 p.m. — England vs. Croatia — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Wed, Jun. 17 — 7 p.m. — Ghana vs. Panama — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Tue, Jun. 23 — 4 p.m. — England vs. Ghana — Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)

Tue, Jun. 23 — 7 p.m. — Panama vs. Croatia — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 5 p.m. — Panama vs. England — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Sat, Jun. 27 — 5 p.m. — Croatia vs. Ghana — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Third-place ranking and knockout qualification

The eight best third-place teams across the 12 groups will advance to the Round of 32; the remaining four third-placed sides will be eliminated. That ranking opens tactical opportunities late in group play, and creates additional betting angles around goal difference and match tempo in the final group fixtures.

Knockout stage: dates, matchups and venues

Round of 32

Sun, Jun. 28 — 3 p.m. — M1: 2nd Group A vs. 2nd Group B — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Mon, Jun. 29 — 4:30 p.m. — M2: 1st Group E vs. 3rd place finisher — Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA)

Mon, Jun. 29 — 9 p.m. — M3: 1st Group F vs. 2nd Group C — Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX)

Mon, Jun. 29 — 1 p.m. — M4: 1st Group C vs. 2nd Group F — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Tue, Jun. 30 — 5 p.m. — M5: 1st Group I vs. 3rd place finisher — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Tue, Jun. 30 — 1 p.m. — M6: 2nd Group E vs. 2nd Group I — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Tue, Jun. 30 — 9 p.m. — M7: 1st Group A vs. 3rd place finisher — Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX)

Wed, Jul. 1 — 12 p.m. — M8: 1st Group L vs. 3rd place finisher — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Wed, Jul. 1 — 8 p.m. — M9: 1st Group D vs. 3rd place finisher — Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)

Wed, Jul. 1 — 4 p.m. — M10: 1st Group G vs. 3rd place finisher — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Thu, Jul. 2 — 7 p.m. — M11: 2nd Group K vs. 2nd Group L — BMO Field (Toronto, CAN)

Thu, Jul. 2 — 3 p.m. — M12: 1st Group H vs. 2nd Group J — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Thu, Jul. 2 — 11 p.m. — M13: 1st Group B vs. 3rd place finisher — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Fri, Jul. 3 — 6 p.m. — M14: 1st Group J vs. 2nd Group H — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Fri, Jul. 3 — 9:30 p.m. — M15: 1st Group K vs. 3rd place finisher — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Fri, Jul. 3 — 2 p.m. — M16: 2nd Group D vs. 2nd Group G — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Round of 16

Sat, Jul. 4 — 1 p.m. — Winner M1 vs. Winner M3 — NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)

Sat, Jul. 4 — 5 p.m. — Winner M2 vs. Winner M5 — Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)

Sun, Jul. 5 — 4 p.m. — Winner M4 vs. Winner M6 — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Sun, Jul. 5 — 8 p.m. — Winner M7 vs. Winner M8 — Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX)

Mon, Jul. 6 — 3 p.m. — Winner M11 vs. Winner M12 — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Mon, Jul. 6 — 8 p.m. — Winner M9 vs. Winner M10 — Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)

Tue, Jul. 7 — 12 p.m. — Winner M14 vs. Winner M16 — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Tue, Jul. 7 — 4 p.m. — Winner M13 vs. Winner M15 — BC Place (Vancouver, CAN)

Quarterfinals

Thu, Jul. 9 — 4 p.m. — QF1: Winner R16 M1 vs. Winner R16 M2 — Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA)

Fri, Jul. 10 — 3 p.m. — QF2: Winner R16 M5 vs. Winner R16 M6 — SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)

Sat, Jul. 11 — 5 p.m. — QF3: Winner R16 M3 vs. Winner R16 M4 — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Sat, Jul. 11 — 9 p.m. — QF4: Winner R16 M7 vs. Winner R16 M8 — Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO)

Semifinals

Tue, Jul. 14 — 3 p.m. — SF1: Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2 — AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)

Wed, Jul. 15 — 3 p.m. — SF2: Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4 — Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA)

Third-place match and Final

Sat, Jul. 18 — 5 p.m. — Third-place match: Loser SF1 vs. Loser SF2 — Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL)

Sun, Jul. 19 — 3 p.m. — Final: Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 — MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)

Betting implications and tactical takeaways for punters

Separation of the top-ranked teams and the home-field lift for host nations shift market dynamics. Early-group matchups may favor favorites who avoid each other until late rounds. The expanded third-place qualification creates scenarios where teams play conservatively for draws or small-margin wins — a factor to weigh for live and outright markets. Monitor group finale fixtures for lines influenced by goal difference and tiebreaker scenarios.

Final note

This tournament’s size and geographic spread create new narratives and betting angles: home advantage, bracket protection for elite teams, and the tactical chess around third-place qualification. Keep an eye on travel schedules, venue climates and late tactical shifts in group-stage pairings when shaping stakes and markets.

Mexico make decision on World Cup warm-up match amid FIFA stance on moving fixtures

The World Cup is going big for the 2026 edition of soccer's most illustrious tournament, expanding to 48 teams for the first time ever in the joint-hosted tournament held in USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Sporting News