FIFA World Cup 2026 Fixtures: Full Match Schedule & Venues
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest football tournament in history — the first to feature 48 nations, spread across three countries and 16 iconic stadiums. From the opening whistle in Mexico City on June 11 to the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19, here is everything you need to know about the full fixture schedule and venues.
Tournament at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
| Dates | June 11 – July 19, 2026 |
| Host nations | USA, Mexico, Canada |
| Total meetings | 104 |
| Teams | 48 |
| Venues | 16 stadiums |
| Days of football | 39 |
| Groups | 12 |
| Opening match | Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca |
| Final | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
Tournament Format
The 2026 World Cup introduces a new format to accommodate 48 teams:
Group Stage (June 11–27): 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams (32 in total), advance to the knockout stage.
Round of 32 (June 28 – July 3): A brand-new knockout round — the first extra knockout stage in World Cup history — introduced as a direct result of the expanded 48-team format.
Round of 16 (July 4–9): 16 winner-takes-all meetings across USA and Mexico venues.
Quarter-finals (July 10–11): Eight meetings, including a fixture at Kansas City Stadium.
Semi-finals (July 14–15): AT&T Stadium in Dallas (July 14) and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (July 15).
Third-place match (July 18): MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
World Cup Final (July 19): MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey. Kick-off: 3:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM BST.
From the quarter-finals onward, all meetings are played exclusively in the United States.
Tournament Timeline
June 11 — Opening Match Mexico vs South Africa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM ET
June 11–27 — Group Stage 48 meetings across all 16 host cities. The 12 groups play out in full, with 32 teams advancing to the knockout rounds.
June 28–July 3 — Round of 32 The new knockout round — 16 meetings across USA and Mexico. The group stage ends June 27, and the race to the final begins.
July 4–9 — Round of 16 16 single-elimination meetings. No second chances from here.
July 10–11 — Quarter-finals Eight teams fight for a place in the last four.
July 14–15 — Semi-finals Dallas and Atlanta host the final four.
July 18 — Third-place match MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
July 19 — World Cup Final MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey | 3:00 PM ET | 8:00 PM BST
All 12 Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia Group B: Canada, Qatar, Switzerland, UEFA Playoff A Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff 2 Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff 1 Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
Host nations (Mexico, USA, Canada) are marked in bold. FIFA has designed the bracket so the top-ranked teams — Spain, Argentina, France, England — cannot meet before the semi-finals.
Key Fixtures
Opening Match | Group A Mexico vs South Africa June 11, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Group D United States vs Paraguay June 12, 2026 | 9:00 PM ET | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Group C Brazil vs Morocco June 13, 2026 | 6:00 PM ET | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ
Group H Spain vs Cape Verde June 15, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Group L England vs Croatia June 2026 (date TBC) | Venue TBC
Semi-final 1 TBD vs TBD July 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Semi-final 2 TBD vs TBD July 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
World Cup Final TBD vs TBD July 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ
All 16 Venues
United States — 11 Venues, 78 meetings
Hosts all quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
MetLife Stadium | New York/New Jersey | Capacity: 82,500 | FIFA name: New York New Jersey Stadium The stage for the World Cup Final on July 19. Home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets, opened in 2010 and renovated for the tournament including the installation of a natural grass pitch.
AT&T Stadium | Dallas, Texas | Capacity: 94,000 | FIFA name: Dallas Stadium The largest venue at the 2026 World Cup, hosting a semi-final on July 14. Known colloquially as “The Death Star” by American sports fans.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Georgia | Capacity: 67,382 | FIFA name: Atlanta Stadium One of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. Hosts a semi-final on July 15 and multiple group-stage meetings.
SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles, California | Capacity: 70,240 | FIFA name: Los Angeles Stadium A cutting-edge modern arena in Inglewood. USA’s Group D opener against Paraguay takes place here.
Hard Rock Stadium | Miami, Florida | Capacity: 65,326 | FIFA name: Miami Stadium A sun-drenched Florida venue with major tournament experience, having hosted Copa América 2024 meetings.
NRG Stadium | Houston, Texas | Capacity: 72,220 | FIFA name: Houston Stadium One of the larger American venues, serving multiple group-stage games in the energy capital of the USA.
Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, California | Capacity: 68,500 | FIFA name: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Located in Silicon Valley, one of the most modern venues of the tournament.
Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington | Capacity: 65,123 | FIFA name: Seattle Stadium Already world-famous for its crowd noise and passionate atmosphere. Part of USA’s Group D schedule.
Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Missouri | Capacity: 76,416 | FIFA name: Kansas City Stadium Home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Hosts a quarter-final as well as group-stage meetings.
Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Capacity: 69,796 | FIFA name: Philadelphia Stadium Extends the tournament into one of America’s most passionate sports cities.
Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Capacity: 63,815 | FIFA name: Boston Stadium Brings New England into the World Cup, giving Boston a direct role in the tournament’s broadest host-country venue spread.
Mexico — 3 Venues, 13 meetings
Hosts the opening match.
Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | FIFA name: Mexico City Stadium The most legendary stadium in the tournament and the first venue ever to host meetings at three FIFA World Cups (1970, 1986, 2026). Site of Maradona’s “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” in 1986. Hosts the opening match: Mexico vs South Africa.
Estadio Akron | Guadalajara | Capacity: 46,232 | FIFA name: Guadalajara Stadium Hosts multiple group-stage meetings in Mexico’s second city.
Estadio BBVA | Monterrey | Capacity: 53,500 | FIFA name: Monterrey Stadium A modern arena in northern Mexico hosting several group-stage fixtures.
Canada — 2 Venues, 13 meetings
First-time World Cup host cities.
BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario | Capacity: 45,000 (expanded) | FIFA name: Toronto Stadium The smallest venue of the tournament at 45,000 seats, but one that underwent $146 million in renovations ahead of the World Cup. Canada plays their opening group meetings here.
BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia | Capacity: 54,500 | FIFA name: Vancouver Stadium A covered stadium on Canada’s Pacific coast. Canada’s remaining group meetings take place here.
How to Watch
United States: FOX (70 meetings) and FS1 (34 meetings). Streaming: FOX Sports app and FOX One. Spanish language: Telemundo (92 games), Universo (12 games), Peacock en Español (all 104).
United Kingdom: BBC Sport and ITV Sport carry full tournament coverage. Note that the significant time-zone difference — 5 hours behind BST on the East Coast, 7–8 hours behind on the West Coast — means many meetings kick off late at night or in the early hours for UK viewers.
Canada: TSN, CTV, and RDS offer full English and French-language coverage.
Global: FIFA+ offers free streaming of selected meetings in certain territories. Check the official FIFA website (fifa.com) for your country’s broadcast rights.
Time Zone Guide for UK Viewers
East Coast USA venues (New York, Boston, Philadelphia): 5 hours behind BST Central time zone venues (Dallas, Kansas City, Houston): 6 hours behind BST Mountain/Pacific venues (Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle): 7–8 hours behind BST
A 3:00 PM ET kick-off = 8:00 PM BST. A 9:00 PM ET kick-off = 2:00 AM BST.
Fast Facts
- The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted by three countries simultaneously.
- It is also the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32 at Qatar 2022.
- 104 total meetings will be played, up from 64 in 2022.
- The Round of 32 is a first in World Cup history.
- Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium to host three World Cups.
- MetLife Stadium’s 82,500-seat capacity makes it the largest venue to host a World Cup final.
- AT&T Stadium in Dallas (94,000 seats) is the largest stadium of the entire tournament.
- Toronto and Vancouver are hosting the World Cup for the very first time.
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