2026 World Cup Schedule and Match Dates: Every Game, Every Venue, All 104 Fixtures

The 2026 World Cup schedule and match dates span 39 days of nonstop soccer — from June 11 through July 19, 2026 — across three countries, 16 cities, and 16 stadiums. It’s the biggest single-sport event ever staged on North American soil, and if you’re trying to plan your viewing calendar (or actual travel), the sheer volume of fixtures can feel overwhelming fast.

Here’s your no-fluff breakdown:

• 🗓️ Tournament runs June 11 – July 19, 2026 across the USA, Canada, and Mexico
• 🏟️ 16 venues in 16 cities — 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, 2 in Canada
• ⚽ 104 total matches — up from 64 at Qatar 2022 — across three group-stage matchdays plus five knockout rounds
• 🧩 Group stage: June 11–27 | Knockout stage begins June 28 with a brand-new Round of 32
• 🏆 The Final: July 19 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

To track how the standings shake out as these games play out, bookmark the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage standings live updates on ESPN — it’s the fastest way to know who’s advancing and who’s already packing their bags.

The Full 2026 World Cup Schedule: Stage-by-Stage Breakdown

Group Stage Match Dates (June 11–27)

The group stage is divided into three matchdays. Every team plays exactly three games. What’s different this cycle? All four teams in each group play their final matchday simultaneously — meaning no team gets an information advantage over another. That rule exists for a reason, and it creates some of the most electric final-day drama in all of sports.

Matchday	Groups Playing	Dates
Matchday 1	Groups A–L (staggered)	June 11–17
Matchday 2	Groups A–L (staggered)	June 18–23
Matchday 3	Groups A–L (simultaneous per group)	June 24–27

Here’s the kicker: eight of the 12 third-place finishers also advance to the Round of 32. So unlike prior World Cups, finishing third in your group isn’t automatic elimination. It’s a lifeline — if you earned it.

Matchday 1 Results & Fixtures (June 11–17)

All results are confirmed. Here’s what went down:

Date	Match	Score	Venue	City
June 11	Mexico vs South Africa	2–0	Estadio Azteca	Mexico City
June 11	South Korea vs Czechia	2–1	Estadio Akron	Guadalajara
June 12	Canada vs Bosnia & Herz.	1–1	BMO Field	Toronto
June 12	USA vs Paraguay	4–1	SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles
June 13	Qatar vs Switzerland	1–1	Levi’s Stadium	San Francisco Bay Area
June 13	Brazil vs Morocco	1–1	MetLife Stadium	New York/New Jersey
June 13	Haiti vs Scotland	0–1	Gillette Stadium	Boston
June 13	Australia vs Türkiye	2–0	BC Place	Vancouver
June 14	Germany vs Curaçao	7–1	NRG Stadium	Houston
June 14	Netherlands vs Japan	2–2	AT&T Stadium	Dallas
June 14	Ivory Coast vs Ecuador	1–0	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia
June 14	Sweden vs Tunisia	5–1	Estadio BBVA	Monterrey
June 15	Spain vs Cape Verde	0–0	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Atlanta
June 15	Belgium vs Egypt	1–1	Lumen Field	Seattle
June 15	Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay	1–1	Hard Rock Stadium	Miami
June 15	Iran vs New Zealand	2–2	SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles
June 16	France vs Senegal	3–1	MetLife Stadium	New York/New Jersey
June 16	Iraq vs Norway	1–4	Gillette Stadium	Boston
June 16	Argentina vs Algeria	—	Arrowhead Stadium	Kansas City
June 16	Austria vs Jordan	—	Levi’s Stadium	San Francisco Bay Area
June 17	Ghana vs Panama	—	BMO Field	Toronto
June 17	England vs Croatia	—	AT&T Stadium	Dallas
June 17	Portugal vs DR Congo	—	NRG Stadium	Houston
June 17	Uzbekistan vs Colombia	—	Estadio Azteca	Mexico City

Matchday 2 Fixtures (June 18–23)

This is where comfortable leads get complicated. Teams with 3 points are looking to clinch. Teams with 0 points are already in must-win territory.

Date	Match	Venue	City
June 18	Czechia vs South Africa	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Atlanta
June 18	Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herz.	SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles
June 18	Canada vs Qatar	BC Place	Vancouver
June 18	Mexico vs South Korea	Estadio Akron	Guadalajara
June 19	Scotland vs Morocco	Gillette Stadium	Boston
June 19	Brazil vs Haiti	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia
June 19	USA vs Australia	Lumen Field	Seattle
June 19	Türkiye vs Paraguay	Levi’s Stadium	San Francisco Bay Area
June 20	Germany vs Ivory Coast	BMO Field	Toronto
June 20	Netherlands vs Sweden	NRG Stadium	Houston
June 20	Ecuador vs Curaçao	Arrowhead Stadium	Kansas City
June 20	Tunisia vs Japan	Estadio BBVA	Monterrey
June 21	Spain vs Saudi Arabia	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Atlanta
June 21	Belgium vs Iran	SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles
June 21	Uruguay vs Cape Verde	Hard Rock Stadium	Miami
June 21	New Zealand vs Egypt	BC Place	Vancouver
June 22	Argentina vs Austria	AT&T Stadium	Arlington
June 22	France vs Iraq	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia
June 22	Norway vs Senegal	MetLife Stadium	New York/New Jersey
June 22	Jordan vs Algeria	Levi’s Stadium	San Francisco Bay Area
June 23	Portugal vs Uzbekistan	NRG Stadium	Houston
June 23	DR Congo vs Colombia	—	TBD
June 23	England vs Ghana	Gillette Stadium	Boston
June 23	Panama vs Croatia	BMO Field	Toronto

Matchday 3 Fixtures (June 24–27) — The Deciders

This is the round that breaks hearts and makes legends. Every group’s final two games kick off at the same time. Watch the standings carefully — a single goal in one game can eliminate a team in another.

Stay locked into FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage standings live updates during these dates. The tables flip minute by minute.

Date	Groups Playing
June 24	Groups A, B & C
June 25	Groups D, E & F
June 26	Groups G, H & I
June 27	Groups J, K & L

2026 World Cup Schedule and Match Dates: Knockout Stage

Full Knockout Round Timeline

Once the dust settles on June 27, here’s every stage of the 2026 World Cup schedule and match dates in the knockout phase:

Round	Dates	Matches
Round of 32	June 28 – July 3	16 matches
Round of 16	July 4–7	8 matches
Quarterfinals	July 9–11	4 matches
Semifinals	July 14–15	2 matches
Third Place Playoff	July 18	1 match
The Final	July 19	MetLife Stadium, NJ

The Round of 32 is brand new. 32 teams. Single-elimination. No second chances. It debuts June 28 — and the pressure is immediate.

The 16 Host Venues at a Glance

16 stadiums. Three countries. Here’s every venue in the tournament, organized by region:

🇺🇸 United States (11 Venues)

Stadium	City	Notable Matches
SoFi Stadium	Los Angeles, CA	USA vs Paraguay (MD1)
Lumen Field	Seattle, WA	USA vs Australia (MD2)
Levi’s Stadium	San Francisco Bay Area, CA	Multiple group fixtures
AT&T Stadium	Arlington (Dallas), TX	Most matches of any venue (9 total)
NRG Stadium	Houston, TX	Germany vs Curaçao (MD1)
Arrowhead Stadium	Kansas City, MO	Argentina vs Algeria (MD1)
Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	France vs Senegal (MD1)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Atlanta, GA	Spain vs Cape Verde (MD1)
Hard Rock Stadium	Miami Gardens, FL	Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (MD1)
Gillette Stadium	Foxborough (Boston), MA	Haiti vs Scotland (MD1)
MetLife Stadium	East Rutherford (NYC), NJ	World Cup Final 🏆

🇲🇽 Mexico (3 Venues)

Stadium	City
Estadio Azteca	Mexico City
Estadio Akron	Guadalajara
Estadio BBVA	Monterrey

🇨🇦 Canada (2 Venues)

Stadium	City
BMO Field	Toronto
BC Place	Vancouver

Step-by-Step: How to Build Your 2026 World Cup Viewing Calendar

New to following a full World Cup? Here’s the smart way to approach 39 days of fixtures without burning out by Week 2.

1. Identify your team first. Find their group (A through L) and note their three Matchday dates. That’s your non-negotiables.
2. Map out the time zones. Games span ET, CT, MT, and PT — plus Canada and Mexico local times. Games in Dallas and Houston are one hour behind New York. Games in Los Angeles are three. Set calendar alerts with time zones pre-loaded.
3. Prioritize the Matchday 3 simultaneous kickoffs. These are the highest-drama games of the group stage. Block your calendar for June 24–27 in full.
4. Use ESPN’s free standings tracker alongside the schedule. Watching a match without knowing the standings context is like reading the last chapter of a book first. It’s technically possible, but you’re missing everything.
5. Mark the Round of 32 — June 28. This is where casual fans become converts. It’s the first knockout game, and with 32 teams still alive, upsets are everywhere.
6. Clear July 14–15 for the semifinals and July 19 for the Final. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the Final. Kickoff is afternoon ET — perfect for American audiences.

Common Mistakes Fans Make With the Schedule (And How to Fix Them)

Mistake #1: Only tracking your team’s games. Fix: Monitor the full group table. Your team’s fate may hinge on what happens in a simultaneous game you’re not watching.

Mistake #2: Forgetting the time zone math. Fix: Always check the ET time and the local venue time. A “noon local” game in Los Angeles is 3 PM ET — a totally different viewing window.

Mistake #3: Assuming Matchday 3 games are spread out. Fix: They’re not. All games within a group kick off simultaneously. On June 25, for example, all 12 Group D/E/F games happen in two parallel windows. Plan accordingly.

Mistake #4: Missing the Round of 32 bracket logic. Fix: The Round of 32 pairings are partly fixed (e.g., Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B) and partly dependent on which third-place teams advance. Check the full 2026 knockout bracket on Wikipedia once the group stage concludes.

Mistake #5: Not knowing broadcast windows. Fix: Fox Sports and FS1 hold the primary English-language rights. Telemundo and Universo cover Spanish-language broadcasts. Apple TV+ has select streaming games. Know your platform before the match starts — not during.

Key Takeaways

• 📅 The 2026 World Cup schedule and match dates run June 11 through July 19 — 39 days, 104 matches, three nations
• 🏟️ 16 venues host the tournament; AT&T Stadium in Dallas hosts the most games (9), MetLife Stadium hosts the Final
• 📊 The group stage ends June 27 — follow the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage standings live updates throughout to know who’s advancing
• 🆕 A brand-new Round of 32 debuts on June 28, replacing the old Round of 16 as the first knockout round
• ⚽ Third-place teams can still advance — the best 8 of 12 third-place finishers go through; this changes how teams approach their final group game
• 🇺🇸 The USA, Mexico, and Canada automatically qualified as host nations; all three play their group stage games on home soil
• 🕐 Matchday 3 simultaneous kickoffs (June 24–27) are the most critical viewing window of the group stage — both games in every group kick off at the same time
• 🏆 The Final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — afternoon kickoff ET

The schedule is set. The venues are ready. What actually changes the picture every single day is the standings — who’s clinched, who’s sweating, and who’s already on a flight home. Keep the 2026 World Cup schedule open in one tab and the live group standings in another. That combination is the only way to watch this tournament the right way.

FAQs