FIFA World Cup 2026: Full Schedule, Venues, Groups, FAQs & More
FIFA has released the full schedule, venues and kick-off times for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will be the biggest in World Cup history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across 16 stadiums.
The opening match will see Mexico face South Africa. Defending champions Argentina will open their campaign against Algeria.
A total of 78 matches will be played in the United States, with 13 each in Mexico and Canada. The final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The kickoff slots are designed to suit global audiences, with prime-time viewing at 9 p.m. CET in Europe and 8 p.m. GMT in the UK.
Confirmed Teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026
A total of 42 teams have booked their place.
- Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
- Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Curacao, Panama, Haiti, USA, Mexico, Canada
- Oceania: New Zealand
FIFA World Cup 2026 Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D winner
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A winner
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C winner
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B winner
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff Winner 2
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff Winner 1
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
FIFA World Cup 2026 Tournament Format
The World Cup will open with a group stage of 12 groups, followed by 4 knockout rounds. Unlike previous editions, the knockouts will start with a round of 32.
How teams progress at 2026 FIFA World Cup:
- The top two teams from each group qualify automatically.
- They will be joined by the best eight third-placed teams.
5 Must-Watch Group-Stage Matches
- Brazil vs Morocco
- England vs Croatia
- Iran vs Egypt
- Spain vs Uruguay
- France vs Senegal
For Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fans:
- Argentina vs Austria
- Portugal vs Colombia
When will all 48 teams be confirmed?
The final list will be completed by March 31, 2026, after UEFA playoffs and intercontinental playoffs conclude.
2026 FIFA World Cup Playoff Teams
UEFA playoff pool: Albania, Bosnia, Czechia, Denmark, Italy, Kosovo, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Wales, Romania, Sweden, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia
Intercontinental playoff pool: Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, Suriname
Will Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi Play the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will play his final World Cup in 2026. He holds the all-time international scoring record with 143 goals and has 226 caps.
Lionel Messi has expressed his desire to defend Argentina’s title but admitted his participation will depend on his fitness and form. Messi is currently in the USA due to his stint with David Beckham’s Inter Miami, so he is most likely to participate.
Key Dates of FIFA World Cup 2026:
- Tournament start: June 11
- Final: July 19
- Opening venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Final venue: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Below is the complete schedule of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
GROUP A — Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Playoff Winner D
11 June
• 15:00 — Mexico vs South Africa (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
• 22:00 — South Korea vs UEFA Playoff Winner D (Estadio Akron, Zapopan)
18 June
• 12:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner D vs South Africa (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• 21:00 — Mexico vs South Korea (Estadio Akron, Zapopan)
24 June
• 21:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner D vs Mexico (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
• 21:00 — South Africa vs South Korea (Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe)
GROUP B — Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff Winner A
12 June
• 15:00 — Canada vs UEFA Playoff Winner A (BMO Field, Toronto)
13 June
• 15:00 — Qatar vs Switzerland (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
18 June
• 15:00 — Switzerland vs UEFA Playoff Winner A (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)
• 18:00 — Canada vs Qatar (BC Place, Vancouver)
24 June
• 15:00 — Switzerland vs Canada (BC Place, Vancouver)
• 15:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner A vs Qatar (Lumen Field, Seattle)
GROUP C — Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
13 June
• 18:00 — Brazil vs Morocco (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
• 21:00 — Haiti vs Scotland (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
19 June
• 18:00 — Scotland vs Morocco (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
• 21:00 — Brazil vs Haiti (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
24 June
• 18:00 — Scotland vs Brazil (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
• 18:00 — Morocco vs Haiti (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
GROUP D — USA, Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff Winner C
12 June
• 21:00 — USA vs Paraguay (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)
13 June
• 00:00 — Australia vs UEFA Playoff Winner C (BC Place, Vancouver)
19 June
• 00:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner C vs Paraguay (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
• 15:00 — USA vs Australia (Lumen Field, Seattle)
25 June
• 22:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner C vs USA (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)
• 22:00 — Paraguay vs Australia (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
GROUP E — Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
14 June
• 13:00 — Germany vs Curacao (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 19:00 — Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
20 June
• 16:00 — Germany vs Ivory Coast (BMO Field, Toronto)
• 20:00 — Ecuador vs Curacao (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
25 June
• 16:00 — Ecuador vs Germany (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
• 16:00 — Curacao vs Ivory Coast (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
GROUP F — Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff Winner B
14 June
• 16:00 — Netherlands vs Japan (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 22:00 — UEFA Playoff Winner B vs Tunisia (Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe)
20 June
• 13:00 — Netherlands vs UEFA Playoff Winner B (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 00:00 — Tunisia vs Japan (Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe)
25 June
• 19:00 — Tunisia vs Netherlands (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 19:00 — Japan vs UEFA Playoff Winner B (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
GROUP G — Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
15 June
• 15:00 — Belgium vs Egypt (Lumen Field, Seattle)
• 21:00 — Iran vs New Zealand (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)
21 June
• 15:00 — Belgium vs Iran (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood)
• 21:00 — New Zealand vs Egypt (BC Place, Vancouver)
26 June
• 23:00 — New Zealand vs Belgium (BC Place, Vancouver)
• 23:00 — Egypt vs Iran (Lumen Field, Seattle)
GROUP H — Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
15 June
• 12:00 — Spain vs Cape Verde (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• 18:00 — Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
21 June
• 12:00 — Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
• 18:00 — Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
26 June
• 20:00 — Uruguay vs Spain (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 20:00 — Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Estadio Akron, Zapopan)
GROUP I — France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff Winner 2
16 June
• 15:00 — France vs Senegal (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
• 18:00 — FIFA Playoff Winner 2 vs Norway (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
22 June
• 17:00 — France vs FIFA Playoff Winner 2 (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• 20:00 — Norway vs Senegal (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
26 June
• 15:00 — Norway vs France (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
• 15:00 — Senegal vs FIFA Playoff Winner 2 (BMO Field, Toronto)
GROUP J — Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
16 June
• 21:00 — Argentina vs Algeria (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
• 00:00 — Austria vs Jordan (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
22 June
• 13:00 — Argentina vs Austria (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 23:00 — Jordan vs Algeria (Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara)
27 June
• 22:00 — Jordan vs Argentina (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 22:00 — Algeria vs Austria (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
GROUP K — Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia, FIFA Playoff Winner 1
17 June
• 13:00 — Portugal vs FIFA Playoff Winner 1 (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 22:00 — Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
23 June
• 13:00 — Portugal vs Uzbekistan (NRG Stadium, Houston)
• 22:00 — Colombia vs FIFA Playoff Winner 1 (Estadio Akron, Zapopan)
27 June
• 19:30 — Colombia vs Portugal (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens)
• 19:30 — FIFA Playoff Winner 1 vs Uzbekistan (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
GROUP L — England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
17 June
• 16:00 — England vs Croatia (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
• 19:00 — Ghana vs Panama (BMO Field, Toronto)
23 June
• 16:00 — England vs Ghana (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
• 19:00 — Panama vs Croatia (BMO Field, Toronto)
27 June
• 17:00 — Panama vs England (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
• 17:00 — Croatia vs Ghana (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
Knockout Rounds
Round of 32: June 28–July 3
Round of 16: July 4–July 7
Quarterfinals: July 9–11
Venues:
• Gillette Stadium
• SoFi Stadium
• Hard Rock Stadium
• Arrowhead Stadium
Semifinals: July 14–15
• AT&T Stadium
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Third-place Playoff: July 18
• Hard Rock Stadium
FIFA World Cup 2026 Final: July 19
• MetLife Stadium