2026 World Cup Schedule: Dates, Venues, and Key Matches
The wait is over. The 2026 World Cup — bigger, longer, spread across a continent — finally has a roadmap.
FIFA has locked in the full schedule for the first 48‑team World Cup, with kick-off times, dates and venues for all 104 matches confirmed across the USA, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. From the opening roar at Estadio Azteca to the final whistle at MetLife Stadium, every step of the journey is now on the calendar.
A World Cup stretched across a continent
Sixteen stadiums will share the load in a tournament unlike any other. Mexico, the USA and Canada will all stage group games, with the competition fanning out from Mexico City and Guadalajara to Vancouver, Miami, New York/New Jersey and beyond.
The curtain rises on June 11 in Mexico City. Estadio Azteca, a ground steeped in World Cup history, hosts Mexico vs South Africa in Group A at 3pm ET, before the action moves to Guadalajara that night for South Korea vs Czechia at Estadio Akron.
From there, the group stage becomes a rolling caravan of football:
- Canada open their campaign in Group B on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- The USA start under the lights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12, facing Paraguay at 9pm ET in Group D.
- Brazil begin their hunt in Group C at MetLife Stadium on June 13 against Morocco.
- England’s first test comes against Croatia on June 17 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
- Argentina launch their title bid on June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City against Algeria.
- France, Germany, Spain and Portugal all have early marquee dates at MetLife, NRG Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and elsewhere as the heavyweights spread across the map.
Every group has its own rhythm. Mexico’s Group A swings between Mexico City, Guadalajara, Atlanta and Monterrey. Canada’s Group B runs through Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, Vancouver and Seattle. Brazil’s Group C stretches from New York/New Jersey to Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta.
The USA’s Group D takes them from Los Angeles to Seattle and back to California, with Australia, Turkiye and Paraguay completing a section that criss-crosses the west coast. Germany’s Group E, the Netherlands’ Group F, Belgium’s Group G and Spain’s Group H all carve their own paths through Houston, Toronto, Monterrey, Seattle, Vancouver, Miami and Atlanta.
By the time the last group-stage ball is kicked on June 27, every corner of the host nations will have felt the World Cup surge. From Ghana vs Panama in Toronto to Jordan vs Argentina in Dallas, the schedule is a constant shuffle of teams and time zones.
Giants on the road
The tournament’s elite will live on airplanes as much as pitches.
France’s Group I journey runs from MetLife to Boston, Philadelphia and back, with Senegal, Iraq and Norway in tow. Argentina’s Group J takes them from Kansas City to Dallas and the Bay Area. Portugal’s Group K path leads through Houston, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Miami and Atlanta, with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia along for the ride. England’s Group L swings between Dallas, Toronto, Boston, New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia as they face Croatia, Ghana and Panama.
For supporters, the schedule lays out exactly where and when to follow their nations. For the players, it’s a test of recovery and resilience in a World Cup that refuses to sit still.
Knockout football, American scale
Once the group phase closes on June 27, the new‑look knockout bracket takes over.
The Round of 32 begins on June 28 at SoFi Stadium with the runners-up from Groups A and B. Across four days, the continent becomes a chessboard: Houston, Boston, Monterrey, Dallas, New York/New Jersey, Mexico City, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto, Vancouver, Kansas City and Miami all host early knockout ties.
Group winners earn their reward in the form of prime slots and iconic venues. The winner of Group A, for example, heads to Estadio Azteca on June 30. The winner of Group L lands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 1. Group H’s top side gets SoFi on July 2. Group B’s winner closes the Round of 32 late that night in Vancouver.
From there, the field narrows.
The Round of 16 runs July 4–7, with NRG Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, MetLife, Azteca, AT&T Stadium, Lumen Field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and BC Place all stepping into the spotlight. Each match now carries a direct line to the final, and the geography tightens as the stakes rise.
Quarterfinals arrive on July 9–11. Boston hosts Match 97, Los Angeles takes Match 98, Miami stages Match 99 and Kansas City gets Match 100. Four cities, four matches, four tickets to the biggest week in world football.
The road to MetLife
The semifinals bring the tournament into its sharpest focus.
On July 14, AT&T Stadium in Dallas stages Match 101, a semifinal between the winners of Matches 97 and 98. One day later, on July 15, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta hosts Match 102, pairing the winners of Matches 99 and 100.
The losers head to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 18 for the third-place game.
The winners collide at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19 at 3pm ET, in Match 104 — the 2026 World Cup final. The same ground that sees Brazil, France, Norway and Panama in the group phase will close the tournament with the biggest game of all.
How to watch
Every one of the 104 matches will be available in Spanish on Peacock, with Telemundo carrying 92 games on television and Universo adding 12 more. Fans can follow the entire tournament in Spanish across those platforms from the opening match on June 11 to the final on July 19.
The World Cup will also be accessible via cable and streaming packages that bundle live TV with league coverage year‑round, giving supporters a way to stay locked into the global game long after the trophy has been lifted.
The blueprint is on the table now. The venues are set, the dates are fixed, the kick-off times are locked in. All that remains is the football — and the question of who will conquer a World Cup spread across three nations and 16 stadiums, and walk out of MetLife Stadium as champions of 2026.
