The expanded tournament will run for 37 days, featuring a record 104 matches, kicking off on June 11, 2026, in Mexico City and culminating in the grand final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.

This edition introduces a new format with 12 groups and an added Round of 32, making it the most extensive World Cup in history.

Key highlights of the 2026 World Cup

• Opening match: Mexico vs South Africa, June 11, Mexico City
• Total teams: 48 (expanded format)
• Total matches: 104
• Host nations: USA, Canada, Mexico
• Final: July 19, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
• 2026 FIFA World Cup: Full schedule by date

The 2026 World Cup introduces a new structure:

• 12 groups of 4 teams each
• Top 2 teams from each group + 8 best third-placed teams advance
• New Round of 32 added before Round of 16
• This ensures more matches, more teams, and greater global representation.

Full 2026 World Cup schedule by day

Thursday, June 11

Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, kick-off 8pm - Mexico City, Mexico

Friday, June 12

Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, kick-off 3am - Zapopan, Mexico

Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 8pm - Toronto, Canada

Saturday, June 13

Group D: USA vs Paraguay, kick-off 2am - Los Angeles, USA

Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, kick-off 8pm - Santa Clara, USA

Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, kick-off 11pm - New Jersey, USA

Sunday, June 14

Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, kick-off 2am - Foxborough, USA

Group D: Australia vs Turkey, kick-off 5am - Vancouver, Canada

Group E: Germany vs Curacao, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, kick-off 9pm - Arlington, USA

Scotland's World Cup Group C games

Haiti vs Scotland - June 14, Boston, 2am (UK time)

Scotland vs Morocco - June 19, Boston, 11pm (UK time)

Scotland vs Brazil - June 24, Miami, 11pm (UK time)

Monday, June 15

Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, kick-off 12am - Philadelphia, USA

Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, kick-off 3am - Guadalupe, Mexico

Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, USA

Group G: Belgium vs Egypt, kick-off 8pm - Seattle, USA

Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, kick-off 11pm - Miami, USA

Tuesday, June 16

Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, kick-off 2am - Los Angeles, USA

Group I: France vs Senegal, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, USA

Group I: Iraq vs Norway, kick-off 11pm - Foxborough, USA

Wednesday, June 17

Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, kick-off 2am - Kansas City, USA

Group J: Austria vs Jordan, kick-off 5am - Santa Clara, USA

Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Group L: England vs Croatia, kick-off 9pm - Arlington, USA

England's World Cup Group L games

England vs Croatia - June 17, Dallas, 9pm (UK time)

England vs Ghana - June 23, Boston, 9pm (UK time)

Panama vs England - June 27, New York-New Jersey, 10pm (UK time)

Thursday, June 18

Group L: Ghana vs Panama, kick-off 12am - Toronto, Canada

Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, kick-off 3am - Mexico City, Mexico

Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, USA

Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, USA

Group B: Canada vs Qatar, kick-off 11pm - Vancouver, Canada

Friday, June 19

Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, kick-off 2am - Zapopan, Mexico

Group D: USA vs Australia, kick-off 8pm - Seattle, USA

Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, kick-off 11pm - Foxborough, USA

Saturday, June 20

Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, kick-off 1.30am - Philadelphia, USA

Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, kick-off 4am - Santa Clara, USA

Group A: Netherlands vs Sweden, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 9pm - Toronto, Canada

Sunday, June 21

Group E: Ecuador vs Curacao, kick-off 1am - Kansas City, USA

Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, kick-off 5am - Guadalupe, Mexico

Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, USA

Group G: Belgium vs Iran, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, USA

Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, kick-off 11pm - Miami, USA

Monday, June 22

Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, kick-off 2am - Vancouver, Canada

Group J: Argentina vs Austria, kick-off 6pm - Arlington, USA

Group I: France vs Iraq, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, USA

Tuesday, June 23

Group I: Norway vs Senegal, kick-off 1am - Toronto, Canada

Group J: Jordan vs Algeria, kick-off 4am - Santa Clara, USA

Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Group L: England vs Ghana, kick-off 9pm - Foxborough, USA

Wednesday, June 24

Group L: Panama vs Croatia, kick-off 12am - Foxborough, USA

Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo, kick-off 3am - Zapopan, Mexico

Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, kick-off 8pm - Vancouver, Canada

Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovinavs Qatar, kick-off 8pm - Seattle, USA

Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, kick-off 11pm - Atlanta, USA

Group C: Scotland vs Brazil, kick-off 11pm - Miami, USA

Thursday, June 25

Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, kick-off 2am - Guadalupe, Mexico

Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico, kick-off 2am - Mexico City, Mexico

Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 9pm - Philadelphia, USA

Group E: Ecuador vs Germany, kick-off 9pm - New Jersey, USA

Friday, June 26

Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, kick-off 12am - Kansas City, USA

Group F: Japan vs Sweden, kick-off 12am - Arlington, USA

Group D: Turkey vs USA, kick-off 3am - Los Angeles, USA

Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, kick-off 3am - Santa Clara, USA

Group I: Norway vs France, kick-off 8pm - Foxborough, USA

Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, kick-off 8pm - Toronto, Canada

Saturday, June 27

Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 1am - Houston, USA

Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, kick-off 1am - Zapopan, Mexico

Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, kick-off 4am - Vancouver, Canada

Group G: Egypt vs Iran, kick-off 4am - Seattle, USA

Group L: Panama vs England, kick-off 10pm - New Jersey, USA

Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, USA

Sunday, June 28

Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, kick-off 12.30am - Miami, USA

Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 12.30am - Atlanta, USA

Group J: Algeria vs Austria, kick-off 3am - Kansas City, USA

Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, kick-off 3am - Arlington, USA

Round of 32 - Match 73: Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, USA

Monday, June 29

Round of 32 - Match 76: Group C winners vs Group F runners-up, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Round of 32 - Match 74: Group E winners vs Group A/B/C/D/F third place, kick-off 9.30pm - Foxborough, USA

Tuesday, June 30

Round of 32 - Match 75: Group F winners vs Group C runners-up, kick-off 2am - Guadalupe, Mexico

Round of 32 - Match 78: Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up, kick-off 6pm - Arlington, USA

Round of 32 - Match 77: Group I winners vs Group C/D/F/G/H third place, kick-off 10pm - New Jersey, USA

Wednesday, July 1

Round of 32 - Match 79: Group A winners vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place, kick-off 2am - Mexico City, Mexico

Round of 32 - Match 80: Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, USA

Round of 32 - Match 82: Group G winners vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place, kick-off 9pm - Seattle, USA

Thursday, July 2

Round of 32 - Match 81: Group D winners vs Group B/E/F/I/J third place, kick-off 1am - Santa Clara, USA

Round of 32 - Match 84: Group H winners vs Group J runners-up, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, USA

Friday, July 3

Round of 32 - Match 83: Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up, kick-off 12am - Toronto, Canada

Round of 32 - Match 85: Group B winners vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place, kick-off 4am - Vancouver, Canada

Round of 32 - Match 88: Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up, kick-off 7pm - Arlington, USA

Round of 32 - Match 86: Group J winners vs Group H runners-up, kick-off 11pm - Miami, USA

Saturday, July 4

Round of 32 - Match 87: Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place, kick-off 2.30am - Kansas City, USA

Round of 16 - Match 90: Match 73 winners vs Match 75 winners, kick-off 6pm - Houston, USA

Round of 16 - Match 89: Match 74 winners vs Match 77 winners, kick-off 10pm - Philadelphia, USA

Sunday, July 5

Round of 16 - Match 91: Match 76 winners vs Match 78 winners, kick-off 9pm - New Jersey, USA

Monday, July 6

Round of 16 - Match 92: Match 79 winners vs Match 80 winners, kick-off 1am - Mexico City, Mexico

Round of 16 - Match 93: Match 83 winners vs Match 84 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, USA

Tuesday, July 7

Round of 16 - Match 94: Match 81 winners vs Match 82 winners, kick-off 1am - Seattle, USA

Round of 16 - Match 95: Match 86 winners vs Match 88 winners, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, USA

Round of 16 - Match 96: Match 85 winners vs Match 87 winners, kick-off 9pm - Vancouver, Canada

Thursday, July 9

Quarter-final - Match 97: Match 89 winners vs Match 90 winners, kick-off 9pm - Foxborough, USA

Friday, July 10

Quarter-final - Match 98: Match 93 winners vs Match 94 winners, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, USA

Saturday, July 11

Quarter-final - Match 99: Match 91 winners vs Match 92 winners, kick-off 10pm - Miami, USA

Sunday, July 12

Quarter-final - Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners, kick-off 2am - Kansas City, USA

Tuesday, July 14

Semi-final - Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, USA

Wednesday, July 15

Semi-final - Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, USA

Saturday, July 18

Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, USA

Sunday, July 19

Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, USA

How to watch

Broadcast details will vary by region, but matches will be available via:

• Official FIFA broadcast partners
• Major sports networks and streaming platforms
• Digital live streaming services globally

(India broadcast details are expected closer to the tournament)

Why this World Cup is historic

The 2026 edition marks:

• The first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup
• The first tri-nation hosting (USA, Canada, Mexico)
• The longest tournament duration in modern history

With football giants and emerging nations colliding, this tournament promises unmatched scale, drama, and global attention.