The 2026 World Cup ends on Sunday, July 19, 2026, when the final takes place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST.
It will mark the conclusion of the expanded, 39-day tournament that featured 48 nations competing across North America, up from 32 in Qatar four years ago. For the first time in history, the tournament has been co-hosted by three separate nations: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Football fans in the UK will be able to watch the final live on free-to-air television, as both the BBC and ITV share broadcasting rights for the marquee event. The clash in New Jersey will crown the winner of the largest and most highly anticipated World Cup ever organised by FIFA, and also one of the most controversial.
Quick Facts
- Final Date: Sunday, July 19, 2026
- UK Kick-off time: 8pm BST
- Local Kick-off time: 3pm ET
- Stadium: MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
When is the World Cup 2026 final?
The World Cup began with co-hosts Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa in Estadio Azteca on Thursday, June 11 - the first of 72 group matches crammed into just 17 days.
With 104 games in total, the vast majority of fixtures will have taken place by Saturday night, before they start to thin out over the remainder of the tournament.
The knockout phase begins on Sunday - less than 24 hours after the group stage ends - and finishes with the World Cup 2026 final on Sunday, July 19 in New Jersey (8pm kick-off BST).
The expanded format of this tournament means there is an extra knockout round, with teams who qualify from their group playing a last-32 fixture next, rather than going straight into the last 16. It means the two finalists will contest eight games in total.
The knockout schedule will be as follows:
Last 32: Sunday, June 28 - Saturday, July 4
Last 16: Saturday, July 4 - Tuesday, July 7
Quarter-finals: Thursday, July 9 - Saturday, July 11
Semi-finals: Tuesday, July 14 - Wednesday, July 15
Third-place: play-off: Saturday, July 18
Final: Sunday, July 19
