World Cup 2026 fixtures: Schedule, kick-off times and venues

The finals are the biggest ever, with 48 teams and a round of 32. It’s also the first time three nations have co-hosted, with Mexico the first country to host a finals three times.

Concerns around player welfare have prompted FIFA to introduce three-minute water breaks at every game, to be taken close to the midway point in each half.

France, Spain and England look like the most likely teams to triumph, but as ever with summer tournaments the key will be who arrives with the most players fit.

The new faces are Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Curacao will become the smallest nation ever to play at the finals.

England have been drawn alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in Group L as they launch their quest to end what will be 60 years of hurt by the time the tournament kicks off in Mexico City.

Fortunately for England faithful, the Three Lions will be based mainly on the United States’ east coast, meaning kick-off times a relatively favourable for those watching from home.

Tournament co-hosts Mexico will face South Africa to open proceedings, a repeat of the 2010 World Cup’s curtain-raiser which ended 1-1.

Matches will be hosted across 16 cities, with the final due to be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.

Here are the full fixtures, dates, venues, and kick-off times for the 2026 World Cup…

8pm: Mexico vs South Africa (Group A, Mexico City)

3am: Korea Republic vs /Czechia (Group A, Guadalajara)

8pm: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Toronto)

2am: USA vs Paraguay (Group D, Los Angeles)

5am: Australia vs Turkey (Group D, Vancouver)

8pm: Qatar vs Switzerland (Group B, San Francisco)

11pm: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C, New York/New Jersey)

2am: Haiti vs Scotland (Group C, Boston)

6pm: Germany vs Curacao (Group E, Houston)

9pm: Netherlands vs Japan (Group F, Dallas)

12am: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E, Philadelphia)

3am: Sweden vs Tunisia (Group F, Monterrey)

5pm: Spain vs Cape Verde (Group H, Atlanta)

8pm: Belgium vs Egypt (Group G, Seattle)

11pm: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (Group H, Miami)

2am: IR Iran vs New Zealand (Group G, Los Angeles)

8pm: France vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)

11pm: Iraq vs Norway (Group I, Boston)

2am: Argentina vs Algeria (Group J, Kansas City)

5am: Austria vs Jordan (Group J, San Francisco)

6pm: Portugal vs DR Congo (Group K, Houston)

9pm: England vs Croatia (Group L, Dallas)

12am: Ghana vs Panama (Group L, Toronto)

3am: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K, Mexico City)

5pm: Czechia vs South Africa (Group C, Atlanta)

8pm: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Los Angeles)

11pm: Canada vs Qatar (Group B, Vancouver)

2am: Mexico vs Korea Republic (Group A, Guadalajara)

5am: Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D, San Francisco)

8pm: USA vs Australia (Group D, Seattle)

11pm: Scotland vs Morocco (Group C, Boston)

2am: Brazil vs Haiti (Group C, Philadelphia)

6pm: Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F, Houston)

9pm: Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Toronto)

12am: Tunisia vs Japan (Group E, Monterrey)

1am: Ecuador vs Curacao (Group E, Kansas City)

5pm: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Atlanta)

8pm: Belgium vs IR Iran (Group G, Los Angeles)

11pm: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H, Miami)

2am: New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G, Vancouver)

6pm: Argentina vs Austria (Group J, Dallas)

10pm: France vs Iraq (Group I, Philadelphia)

1am: Norway vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)

4am: Jordan vs Algeria (Group J, San Francisco)

6pm: Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Houston)

9pm: England vs Ghana (Group L, Boston)

12am: Panama vs Croatia (Group L, Toronto)

3am: Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K, Guadalajara)

8pm: Switzerland vs Canada (Group B, Vancouver)

8pm: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B, Seattle)

11pm: Scotland vs Brazil (Group C, Miami)

11pm: Morocco vs Haiti (Group C, Atlanta)

2am: Czechia vs Mexico (Group A, Mexico City)

2am: South Africa vs Korea Republic (Group A, Monterrey)

9pm: Ecuador vs Germany (Group E, New York/New Jersey)

9pm: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Philadelphia)

12am: Japan vs Sweden (Group F, Dallas)

12am: Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F, Kansas City)

3am: Turkey vs USA (Group D, Los Angeles)

3am: Paraguay vs Australia (Group D, San Francisco)

8pm: Norway vs France (Group I, Boston)

8pm: Senegal vs Iraq (Group I, Toronto)

1am: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Houston)

1am: Uruguay vs Spain (Group H, Guadalajara)

4am: Egypt vs IR Iran (Group G, Seattle)

4am: New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G, Vancouver)

12am: Panama vs England (Group L, New York/New Jersey)

12am: Croatia vs Ghana (Group L, Philadelphia)

00.30am: Colombia vs Portugal (Group K, Miami)

00.30am: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Atlanta)

3am: Algeria vs Austria (Group J, Kansas City)

3am: Jordan vs Argentina (Group J, Dallas)

8pm: Match 73 – Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (Los Angeles)

6pm: Match 76 – Group C winners v Group F runners-up (Houston)

9.30pm: Match 74 – Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place (Boston)

2am: Match 75 – Group F winners v Group C runners-up (Monterrey)

6pm: Match 78 – Group E runners up v Group I runners-up (Dallas)

10pm: Match 77 – Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place (New York/New Jersey)

2am: Match 79 – Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place (Mexico City)

5pm: Match 80 – Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place (Atlanta)

9pm: Match 82 – Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place (Seattle)

1am: Match 81 – Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place (San Francisco)

8pm: Match 84 – Group H winners v Group J runners-up (Los Angeles)

12am: Match 83 – Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up (Toronto)

4am: Match 85 – Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place (Vancouver)

7pm: Match 88 – Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up (Dallas)

11pm: Match 86 – Group J winners v Group H runners-up (Miami)

2.30am: Match 87 – Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place (Kansas City)

10pm: Match 89 – Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 (Philadelphia)

6pm: Match 90 – Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 (Houston)

9pm: Match 91 – Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 (New York/New Jersey)

1am: Match 92 – Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 (Mexico City)

8pm: Match 93 – Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 (Dallas)

1am: Match 94 – Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 (Seattle)

5pm: Match 95 – Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 (Atlanta)

9pm: Match 96 – Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 (Vancouver)

9pm: Match 97 – Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 (Boston)

8pm: Match 98 – Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 (Los Angeles)

10pm: Match 99 – Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 (Miami)

2am: Match 100 – Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 (Kansas City)

8pm: Match 101 – Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 (Dallas)

8pm: Match 102 – Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 (Atlanta)

10pm: Match 103 – Loser match 101 v Loser match 102 (Miami)

8pm: Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 (New York/New Jersey)