2026 World Cup Latest Schedule | Full Match Times & Fixture Arrangements
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico marks a historic expansion, with 104 matches taking place across 16 cities. The group stage features 48 teams divided into 16 groups of 3 teams each playing a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the 32-team knockout stage. Below is the complete schedule (all times shown are Beijing Time), including kick-off times, matchups, venues for every group match, as well as specific dates and advancement structures for each knockout round. Bookmark this page to stay updated on the latest schedule changes.
Group Stage Schedule (Beijing Time)
Opening Match: Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 07:00 – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles – USA vs Play-off Winner TBD
Group Stage Period: June 11 – June 27, with 3 to 6 matches per day scheduled around 00:00, 03:00, 05:00, 08:00 and 10:00 (Beijing Time).
Match Day 1 (June 11)
- 07:00 Group A: USA vs Play-off Winner 1 (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles)
- 10:00 Group B: France vs Asian Team (AT&T Stadium, Dallas)
- 13:00 Group C: Argentina vs African Team (NRG Stadium, Houston)
Match Day 2 (June 12)
- 00:00 Group D: England vs CONCACAF Team (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)
- 03:00 Group E: Spain vs Oceanian Team (Lumen Field, Seattle)
- 05:00 Group F: Germany vs South American Team (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)
- 08:00 Group G: Brazil vs European Team (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami)
- 10:00 Group H: Portugal vs Asian Team (Levi's Stadium, San Francisco)
Match Day 3 (June 13)
- 00:00 Group I: Netherlands vs African Team (Gillette Stadium, Boston)
- 03:00 Group J: Belgium vs South American Team (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
- 05:00 Group K: Italy vs CONCACAF Team (MetLife Stadium, New York)
- 08:00 Group L: Croatia vs Asian Team (BMO Field, Toronto)
- 10:00 Group M: Mexico vs European Team (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
Match Day 4 (June 14)
- 00:00 Group N: Uruguay vs African Team (Estadio BBVA, Monterrey)
- 03:00 Group O: Japan vs South American Team (BC Place Stadium, Vancouver)
- 05:00 Group P: South Korea vs European Team (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara)
Note: The above shows examples for the first four match days. In the full group stage, each team plays exactly 2 matches, making a total of 48 group matches. Subsequent fixtures will fill in specific opponents following the draw. All times have been converted to Beijing Time. For reference: US West Coast corresponds to +15 hours, Central +13 hours, Eastern +12 hours; Mexico City aligns closely with US Central Time.
Knockout Stage (Beijing Time)
The knockout stage begins with the Round of 32 (32 teams advance). All matches are single elimination. If tied after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time is played; if still tied, a penalty shootout decides the winner.
- Round of 32: June 30 – July 3, 4 matches per day at 23:00, 03:00, 06:00, 09:00
- Round of 16: July 5 – July 7, 2-3 matches per day
- Quarter-finals: July 10 – July 11
- Semi-finals: July 15 – July 16
- Third-place play-off: July 18
- Final: July 19 at 07:00 (MetLife Stadium, New York)
Knockout Stage Bracket Structure
After the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. The pairing principle is: Winner of Group A vs Runner-up of Group B, Winner of Group C vs Runner-up of Group D, and so forth, forming a fixed bracket. The upper and lower halves of the bracket are balanced, potentially setting up early heavyweight clashes. For example, if both France and Brazil win their groups, they could meet in the quarter-finals. The complete bracket will be updated immediately after the final group stage matchday.
Venue Distribution and Spectator Tips
The United States hosts 60 matches across 11 venues, including all knockout matches; Canada hosts 13 matches across 2 venues; Mexico hosts 13 matches across 3 venues. The three largest stadiums by capacity are: AT&T Stadium, Dallas (92,000), MetLife Stadium, New York (82,500), and SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (70,000, expandable). Fans are advised to plan trips well in advance based on their team's schedule and to monitor official ticketing updates.
Friendly Reminder: This schedule is compiled based on FIFA's official framework. Final matchups and exact kick-off times are subject to minor adjustments due to broadcast arrangements or weather conditions. Always refer to the official World Cup website for the latest announcements.