Pulses are racing ahead of Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw, with the competition’s 42 confirmed participants and the remaining play-off hopefuls discovering their opponents for the tournament.
All 12 groups will be decided at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. For some, there will be sighs of relief at a favorable draw. For others, grimaces as they’re drawn into the inevitable ‘Group of Death.’
Supporters will be eagerly anticipating the event but will have to hold off on booking flights and hotels for just a little longer, with the official schedule for the group stage not finalized upon the conclusion of the draw.
So, why will nations have to wait to discover the time and location of their group stage matches? And how long must they wait?
When Will the 2026 World Cup Schedule Be Released?
For the first time in World Cup history, competing nations won’t know their exact group stage itinerary on the date of the draw. Instead, they will have to wait until Saturday, Dec. 6 to learn their schedule.
On Monday, FIFA announced their decision to delay the release of each group’s and team’s official schedule—which will include the finalization of kick-off times and venues for competitors. Friday’s draw kicks off at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. GMT) and Saturday’s televised “reveal show” will commence exactly 24 hours later.
A FIFA statement read: “During the live broadcast, the venues and kick-off times for all 104 matches will be confirmed. The broadcast will be carried live across FIFA platforms, including FIFA.com and FIFA’s YouTube channel, ensuring that fans across the globe can follow the announcements in real time. A live broadcast feed will also be made available to broadcasters worldwide.
“The match allocation process that follows the draw aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams and spectators while, where possible, enabling fans all over the world to watch their teams play live across different time zones. The final version of the match schedule will be available in March, once the FIFA and European playoffs have taken place and the final six slots have been filled.”
It’s expected that matches involving European, African and Asian teams, where possible, will kick off earlier in North America and preferably on the East Coast to accommodate the time difference and ensure a better viewing experience for supporters.
Meanwhile, matches involving teams from the Americas are likely to kick off later, although it will not always be possible to make this a reality.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Teams Won’t Know Time, Location of Games at World Cup Draw.
