The 2026 World Cup will be unlike any other. There will be more host nations, more teams and more Donald Trump than ever before. There will also be an unprecedented number of matches on offer next summer.
A swollen glut of 104 fixtures are planned for the 48 nations competing across Mexico, Canada and the United States. Friday’s grand group stage draw, befit with everyone from Rio Ferdinand to the Village People, provided the foundation for the upcoming international jamboree.
There are still some unknowns to bear in mind. The exact kickoff times and locations of all the group stage fixtures will not be revealed until a separate ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 6.
There is also the small matter of four vacant spots still to be filled in the final rollcall of participants. Those remaining qualifiers will not be determined until March 2026, when two sets of playoffs—one between 16 UEFA nations and a separate six-way inter-confederation bracket—are conducted.
Nevertheless, there is still plenty to pick apart from the schedule.
2026 World Cup Group Stage: Full Schedule
As one of the host nations, the venues for Mexico’s three group stage fixtures were determined before Friday’s draw. El Tri open up the competition on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca, which will become the first venue in World Cup history to stage matches at three different editions of the competition.
South Africa will be their opponents on that historic day, while Group A is completed with South Korea and the winner of UEFA playoff pathway D, which could be any of Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia or the Republic of Ireland.
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 11 | Mexico vs. South Africa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| June 11 | South Korea vs. UEFA Playoff Winner D | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| June 18 | UEFA Playoff Winner D vs. South Africa | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 18 | Mexico vs. South Korea | Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| June 24 | UEFA Playoff Winner D vs. Mexico | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| June 24 | South Africa vs. South Korea | Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
UEFA Playoff D Teams: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, Republic of Ireland
Group B
Canada have also been guaranteed home field advantage with an opening fixture in Toronto before they close out their group stage in Vancouver. The nation spearheaded by U.S.-born coach Jesse Marsch is still waiting for its first-ever point at a World Cup, having lost the previous six by an aggregate score of 12–2.
The co-hosts start their campaign against a potentially tricky opponent, with one of Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina to come through UEFA Playoff path A.
Qatar know all too well the difficult of winning points on home soil at a World Cup and the 2022 hosts were drawn together with Switzerland to round out Group B.
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 12 | Canada vs. UEFA Playoff Winner A | BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 13 | Qatar vs. Switzerland | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 18 | Switzerland vs. UEFA Playoff Winner A | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| June 18 | Canada vs. Qatar | BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 24 | Switzerland vs. Canada | BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 24 | UEFA Playoff Winner A vs. Qatar | Lumen Field, Seattle |
UEFA Playoff A Teams: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C
Group C has a decidedly 1998 flavor about it. Brazil, Morocco and Scotland are all involved just like 27 years ago. Instead of Norway, Haiti complete this tantalizing quadrant on this occasion.
Brazil are five-time world champions but Morocco made it further at the last World Cup, bounding to a semifinal where they were only narrowly beaten by France. Furthermore, the African giants defeated their South American counterparts when they last faced off in March 2023.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 13 | Brazil vs. Morocco | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| June 13 | Haiti vs. Scotland | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| June 19 | Brazil vs. Haiti | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| June 19 | Scotland vs. Morocco | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| June 24 | Scotland vs. Brazil | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 24 | Morocco vs. Haiti | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
Group D
Mauricio Pochettino is dreaming big this summer. The U.S. men’s national team manager insists that he is targeting nothing less than lifting the World Cup trophy on home soil next summer. “I think if you don’t win, what does it matter?” he reasoned. “If you are second, nobody ever remembers.”
The USMNT will first have to navigate their way through a familiar-looking Group D before they can begin to justify those lofty aspirations. Paraguay lost 2–1 to Pochettino’s side as recently as November, while Australia were also beaten on U.S. in 2025 thanks to a brace from Haji Wright. One of Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia and Kosovo will be trying to avoid that fate next year.
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| June 12 | USMNT vs. Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| June 13 | Australia vs. UEFA Playoff Winner C | BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 19 | UEFA Playoff Winner C vs. Paraguay | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 19 | USMNT vs. Australia | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| June 25 | UEFA Playoff Winner C vs. USMNT | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| June 25 | Paraguay vs. Australia | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
UEFA Playoff C Teams: Türkiye, Romania, Slovakia, Kosovo
Group E
Curuçao’s first-ever World Cup game will be against none other than four-time winners Germany. The tiny Concacaf represent may have a smaller population than the modest city of Mainz, but they would not be the first to upset Germany in a World Cup group stage lately—Die Mannschaft have been knocked out in the first round of the last two editions.
Ecuador were 20 minutes away from making the round of 16 in Qatar only to be undone by Senegal’s Kalidou Kouliably. The South American outfit with Chelsea superstar Moisés Caicedo at its center will aiming for qualification next summer, although they’ll likely have to get past Ivory Coast as well as Curuçao if Germany don’t trip up again.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Germany vs. Curuçao | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or NRG Stadium, Houston |
| June 14 | Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or NRG Stadium, Houston |
| June 20 | Germany vs. Ivory Coast | BMO Field, Toronto or Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| June 20 | Ecuador vs. Curaçao | BMO Field, Toronto or Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| June 25 | Ecuador vs. Germany | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| June 25 | Curuçao vs. Ivory Coast | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia or MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
Group F
This is a deceptively tough group. The Netherlands (7), Japan (18) and Tunisia (40) are all ranked inside the top 40 of FIFA’s global standings. The winner of UEFA playoff path B is not going to be a walkover either, with one of Ukraine, Sweden, Poland and Albania joining Group F.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Netherlands vs. Japan | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
| June 14 | UEFA Playoff Winner B vs. Tunisia | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
| June 20 | Netherlands vs. UEFA Playoff Winner B | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
| June 20 | Tunisia vs. Japan | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
| June 25 | Tunisia vs. Netherlands | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| June 25 | Japan vs. UEFA Playoff Winner B | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
UEFA Playoff B Teams: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, Albania
Group G
There will be a glut of faces familiar to Premier League viewers on show in Group G. Egypt are spearheaded not only by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah but can also count upon Manchester City’s Erling Haaland understudy Omar Marmoush. His Etihad teammate Jérémy Doku is the fleet-footed force on the wing for a Belgium side which also includes Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans.
New Zealand’s talisman Chris Wood is no stranger to a Premier League goal and he will have to replicate his Nottingham Forest form from last season if he is to help the Kiwis advance beyond the aforementioned nations and a tricky Iran side.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Belgium vs. Egypt | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood or Lumen Field, Seattle |
| June 15 | Iran vs. New Zealand | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood or Lumen Field, Seattle |
| June 21 | Belgium vs. Iran | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood or BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 21 | New Zealand vs. Egypt | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood or BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 26 | New Zealand vs. Belgium | Lumen Field, Seattle or BC Place, Vancouver |
| June 26 | Egypt vs. Iran | Lumen Field, Seattle or BC Place, Vancouver |
Group H
Cape Verde’s introduction to World Cup action comes against arguably the worst possible opponents: leading favorites Spain. The reigning European champions will feel confident up against the tournament newbies and a Uruguay team which ended 2025 with a thumping 5–1 defeat at the hands of the USMNT.
Saudi Arabia, however, may have other ideas. The nation led by Hervé Renard pulled off the biggest shock of the 2022 World Cup when they defeated Argentina in their group opener. Saudi don’t take on Spain until the second matchday, when a loss could be even more decisive.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Spain vs. Cape Verde | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 15 | Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 21 | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 21 | Uruguay vs. Cape Verde | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 26 | Uruguay vs. Spain | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| June 26 | Cape Verde vs. Saudia Arabia | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
Group I
This is a delicious group. A repeat of the infamous opening game of World Cup 2002—when a Senegal starting XI exclusively made up of Ligue 1 players defeated defending champions France—isn’t even the best clash.
It will be billed as the battle of the strikers when Erling Haaland’s Norway take on a France team captained by Kylian Mbappé. Both pre-tournament contenders for the Golden Boot will hope to bolster their tallies against the winner of FIFA’s inter-confederation playoff from pathway 2, namely one of Bolivia, Suriname or Iraq.
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 16 | France vs. Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| June 16 | FIFA Playoff Winner 2 vs. Norway | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| June 22 | France vs. FIFA Playoff Winner 2 | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| June 22 | Norway vs. Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| June 26 | Norway vs. France | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 26 | Senegal vs. FIFA Playoff Winner 2 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or BMO Field, Toronto |
FIFA Playoff 2 Teams: Bolivia, Suriname, Iraq
Group J
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 16 | Argentina vs. Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City or Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 16 | Austria vs. Jordan | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City or Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 22 | Argentina vs. Austria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 22 | Jordan vs. Algeria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington or Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara |
| June 27 | Jordan vs. Argentina | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City or AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| June 27 | Algeria vs. Austria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City or AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
Group K
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 17 | Portugal vs. FIFA Playoff 1 Winner | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| June 17 | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| June 23 | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| June 23 | Colombia vs. FIFA Playoff 1 Winner | NRG Stadium, Houston or Estadio Akron, Zapopan |
| June 27 | Colombia vs. Portugal | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 27 | FIFA Playoff 1 Winner vs. Uzbekistan | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens or Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
FIFA Playoff 1 Teams: New Caledonia, Jamaica, DR Congo
Group L
| Date | Fixture | Possible Locations |
|---|---|---|
| June 17 | England vs. Croatia | BMO Field, Toronto or AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| June 17 | Ghana vs. Panama | BMO Field, Toronto or AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| June 23 | England vs. Ghana | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 23 | Panama vs. Croatia | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough or BMO Field, Toronto |
| June 27 | Panama vs. England | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| June 27 | Croatia vs. Ghana | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford or Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
2026 World Cup Knockout Phase: Full Schedule
The World Cup has taken on many different shapes and sizes over the years. The inaugural edition in 1930 had an awkward 13 teams after Egypt missed their connecting boat to Uruguay. There have been straight knockouts, double group stages and even one iteration without a final. However, for the first time ever, there will be a round of 32.
This Europa League-esque introduction has come into force to accommodate the 48 teams which now take part. The top two from each of the 12 groups automatically advance to the first knockout round where they will be joined by eight of the best dozen third-place sides.
In another twist, FIFA have seeded the draw to ensure that should the top four highest ranked nations—Spain, Argentina, France and England—win their respective groups, they will not be able to meet each other any earlier than the semifinals.
Round of 32
| R32 Match Number / Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 / June 28 | Grp. A runner-up vs. Grp. B runner-up | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| 2 / June 29 | Grp. E winner vs. Grp. A/B/C/D/F third place | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| 3 / June 29 | Grp F. winner vs. Grp C. runner-up | Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe |
| 4 / June 29 | Grp. C winner vs. Grp. F runner-up | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| 5 / June 30 | Grp. I winner vs. Grp. C/D/F/G/H third place | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| 6 / June 30 | Grp. E runner-up vs. Grp. I runner-up | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| 7 / June 30 | Grp. A winner vs. Grp. C/E/F/H/I third place | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 8 / July 1 | Grp. L winner vs. Grp. E/H/I/J/K third place | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| 9 / July 1 | Grp. D winner vs. Grp. B/E/F/I/J third place | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| 10 / July 1 | Grp. G winner vs. Grp. A/E/H/I/J third place | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| 11 / July 2 | Grp. K. runner-up vs, Grp. L runner-up | BMO Field, Toronto |
| 12 / July 2 | Grp. H winner vs. Grp. J runner-up | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| 13 / July 2 | Grp. B winner vs. Grp. E/F/G/I/J third place | BC Place, Vancouver |
| 14 / July 3 | Grp. J winner vs. Grp. H runner-up | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| 15 / July 3 | Grp K. winner vs. Grp. D/E/I/J/L third place | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| 16 / July 3 | Grp. D runner-up vs. Grp. G runner-up | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
Round of 16
| R16 Match Number / Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 / July 4 | R32 match 2 winner vs. R32 match 5 winner | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| 2 / July 4 | R32 match 1 winner vs. R32 match 3 winner | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| 3 / July 5 | R32 match 4 winner vs. R32 match 6 winner | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| 4 / July 5 | R32 match 7 winner vs. R32 match 8 winner | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| 5 / July 6 | R32 match 11 winner vs. R32 match 12 winner | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| 6 / July 6 | R32 match 9 winner vs. R32 match 10 winner | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| 7 / July 7 | R32 match 14 winner vs. R32 match 16 winner | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| 8 / July 7 | R32 match 13 winner vs. R32 match 15 winner | BC Place, Vancouver |
Quarterfinals
| QF Match Number / Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 / July 9 | R16 match 1 winner vs. R16 match 2 winner | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| 2 / July 10 | R16 match 5 winner vs. R16 match 6 winner | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| 3 / July 11 | R16 match 3 winner vs. R16 match 4 winner | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| 4 / July 11 | R16 match 7 winner vs. R16 match 8 winner | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Semifinals
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 14 | QF match 1 winner vs. QF match 2 winner | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| July 15 | QF match 3 winner vs. QF match 4 winner | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
Third Place Playoff
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 18 | SF match 1 loser vs. SF match 2 loser | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
Final
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 19 | SF match 1 winner vs. SF match 2 winner | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 World Cup: Full List of Matches, Schedule.
