The countdown to the biggest tournament in football has already begun. The World Cup 2026 will be unlike anything the sport has seen before, with more teams, more matches, and more drama spread across three host nations.
The 2026 edition will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and will be expanded to feature 48 teams for the first time, reshaping the format and the match calendar.
With games taking place across the three countries, the 39-day tournament will have 104 matches played in different time zones and a vast schedule we have never seen the likes of before in football.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to track the tournament: key dates, fixture breakdowns, and kickoff times across major time zones, so you can stay abreast of football’s greatest showcase.
World Cup key dates of rounds
Group stage: June 11th-27th
Round of 32: June 28th to July 3rd
Round of 16: July 4th-7th
Quarter-finals: July 9th-11th
Semi-finals: July 14th-15th
Third-place play-off: July 18th
Final: July 19th
England's World Cup Group L games (UK time )
England v Croatia – June 17th (21:00) - Arlington, USA
England v Ghana – June 23rd (21:00) - Foxborough, USA
Panama v England – June 27th (22:00) - East Rutherford, USA
Scotland's World Cup Group C games (UK time )
Haiti v Scotland – June 14th (02:00) - Foxborough, USA
Scotland v Morocco – June 19th (23:00) - Foxborough, USA
Scotland v Brazil – June 24th (23:00 BST) - Miami, USA
Full 2026 World Cup schedule by day
All times in UK time / BST
Matchday 1: June 11th–18th
Thursday, June 11th
Group A: Mexico v South Africa (20:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Friday, June 12th
Group A: South Korea v UEFA Path D (03:00) – Zapopan, Mexico
Group B: Canada v UEFA Path A (20:00) – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 13th
Group D: USA v Paraguay (02:00) – Inglewood, USA
Group B: Qatar v Switzerland (20:00) – Santa Clara, USA
Group C: Brazil v Morocco (23:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Sunday, June 14th
Group C: Haiti v Scotland (02:00) – Foxborough, USA
Group D: Australia v UEFA Path C (05:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Group E: Germany v Curacao (18:00) – Houston, USA
Group F: Netherlands v Japan (21:00) – Arlington, USA
Monday, June 15th
Group E: Ivory Coast v Ecuador (00:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Group F: UEFA Path B v Tunisia (03:00) – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain v Cape Verde (17:00) – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium v Egypt (20:00) – Seattle, USA
Group H: Saudi Arabia v Uruguay (23:00) – Miami, USA
Tuesday, June 16th
Group G: Iran v New Zealand (02:00) – Inglewood, USA
Group I: France v Senegal (20:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Group I: Play-off 2 v Norway (23:00) – Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 17th
Group J: Argentina v Algeria (02:00) – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Austria v Jordan (05:00) – Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal v Play-off 1 (18:00) – Houston, USA
Group L: England v Croatia (21:00) – Arlington, USA
Thursday, June 18th
Group L: Ghana v Panama (00:00) – Toronto, Canada
Group K: Uzbekistan v Colombia (03:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Matchday 2: June 18th–24th
Thursday, June 18th
Group A: UEFA Path D v South Africa (17:00) – Atlanta, USA
Group B: Switzerland v UEFA Path A (20:00) – Inglewood, USA
Group B: Canada v Qatar (23:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Friday, June 19th
Group A: Mexico v South Korea (02:00) – Zapopan, Mexico
Group D: USA v Australia (20:00) – Seattle, USA
Group C: Scotland v Morocco (23:00) – Foxborough, USA
Saturday, June 20th
Group C: Brazil v Haiti (02:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Group D: UEFA Path C v Paraguay (05:00) – Santa Clara, USA
Group F: Netherlands v UEFA Path B (18:00) – Houston, USA
Group E: Germany v Ivory Coast (21:00) – Toronto, Canada
Sunday, June 21st
Group E: Ecuador v Curaçao (01:00) – Kansas City, USA
Group F: Tunisia v Japan (05:00) – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group H: Spain v Saudi Arabia (17:00) – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium v Iran (20:00) – Inglewood, USA
Group H: Uruguay v Cape Verde (23:00) – Miami, USA
Monday, June 22nd
Group G: New Zealand v Egypt (02:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Group J: Argentina v Austria (18:00) – Arlington, USA
Group I: France v Play-off 2 (22:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Tuesday, June 23rd
Group I: Norway v Senegal (01:00) – Toronto, Canada
Group J: Jordan v Algeria, (04:00) – Santa Clara, USA
Group K: Portugal v Uzbekistan (18:00) – Houston, USA
Group L: England v Ghana (21:00) – Foxborough, USA
Wednesday, June 24th
Group L: Panama v Croatia (00:00) – Foxborough, USA
Group K: Colombia v Play-off 1 (03:00) – Zapopan, Mexico
Matchday 3: June 24th–28th
Wednesday, June 24th
Group B: Switzerland v Canada (20:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Group B: UEFA Path A v Qatar (20:00) – Seattle, USA
Group C: Morocco v Haiti (23:00) – Atlanta, USA
Group C: Scotland v Brazil (23:00) – Miami, USA
Thursday, June 25th
Group A: UEFA Path D v Mexico (02:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: South Africa v South Korea (02:00) – Guadalupe, Mexico
Group E: Curacao v Ivory Coast (21:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Group E: Ecuador v Germany (21:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Friday, June 26th
Group F: Japan v UEFA Path B (00:00) – Arlington, USA
Group F: Tunisia v Netherlands (00:00) – Kansas City, USA
Group D: UEFA Path C v USA (03:00) – Inglewood, USA
Group D: Paraguay v Australia (03:00) – Santa Clara, USA
Group I: Norway v France (20:00) – Foxborough, USA
Group I: Senegal v Play-off 2 (20:00) – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 27th
Group H: Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia (01:00) – Houston, USA
Group H: Uruguay v Spain (21:00) – Zapopan, Mexico
Group G: New Zealand v Belgium (04:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Group G: Egypt v Iran (04:00) – Seattle, USA
Group L: Panama v England (22:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Group L: Croatia v Ghana (22:00) Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, June 28th
Group K: Colombia v Portugal (00:30) – Miami, USA
Group K: Play-off 1 v Uzbekistan (00:30) – Atlanta, USA
Group J: Algeria v Austria (03:00) – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Jordan v Argentina (03:00) – Arlington, USA
Round of 32: June 28th–July 3rd
Sunday, June 28th
Match 73: Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (20:00) – Inglewood, USA
Monday, June 29th
Match 76: Group C winners v Group F runners-up (18:00) –Houston, USA
Match 74: Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place (21:30)– Foxborough, USA
Tuesday, June 30th
Match 75: Group F winners v Group C runners-up (02:00) – Guadalupe, Mexico
Match 78: Group E runners-up v Group I runners-up (18:00) – Arlington, USA
Match 77: Group I Winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place (22:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Wednesday, July 1st
Match 79: Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place (02:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Match 80: Group L Winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place (17:00) –Atlanta, USA
Match 82: Group G Winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place (21:00) – Seattle, USA
Thursday, July 2nd
Match 81: Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place (01:00)– Santa Clara, USA
Match 84: Group H Winners v Group J runners-up (20:00)– Inglewood, USA
Friday, July 3rd
Match 83: Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up (00:00)– Toronto, Canada
Match 85: Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place(04:00)– Vancouver, Canada
Match 88: Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up (19:00) - Arlington, USA
Match 86: Group J winners vs Group H runners-up (23:00) - Miami, USA
Saturday, July 4th
Match 87: Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place (02:30) – Kansas City, USA
Round of 16: July 4th–7th
Saturday, July 4th
Match 90: Match 73 winners v Match 75 winners (18:00)– Houston, USA
Match 89: Match 74 winners v Match 77 winners (22:00) – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, July 5th
Match 91: Match 76 winners v Match 78 winners (21:00) – East Rutherford, USA
Monday, July 6th
Match 92: Match 79 winners v Match 80 winners (01:00) – Mexico City, Mexico
Match 93: Match 83 winners v Match 84 winners (20:00) – Arlington, USA
Tuesday, July 7th
Match 94: Match 81 winners v Match 82 winners (01:00) – Seattle, USA
Match 95: Match 86 winners v Match 88 winners (17:00) – Atlanta, USA
Match 96: Match 85 winners v Winner Match 87 winners (21:00) – Vancouver, Canada
Quarter-finals: July 9th–11th
Thursday, July 9th
Match 97: Match 89 winners v Match 90 winners (21:00) – Foxborough, USA
Friday, July 10th
Match 98: Match 93 winners v Match 94 winners (20:00) – Inglewood, USA
Saturday, July 11th
Match 99: Match 91 winners v Match 92 winners (22:00) – Miami, USA
Sunday, July 12th
Match 100: Match 95 winners v Match 96 winners, (02:00) – Kansas City, USA
Semi-finals: July 14th–15th
Tuesday, July 14th
Match 101: Match 97 winners v Match 98 winners, (20:00) – Arlington, USA
Wednesday, July 15th
Match 102: Match 99 winners v Match 100 winners (20:00) – Atlanta, USA
Third-place play-off
Saturday, July 18th
Match 103: Match 101 losers v Match 102 losers (22:00) – Miami, USA
Final
Sunday, July 19th
Match 104: Match 101 winners v Match 102 winners (20:00) – East Rutherford, USA