IMAGE: Football fan Achim Klimmeck poses for a picture with a replica World Cup trophy, decorated with hundreds of flags for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Essen, western Germany.
Photograph: Leon Kuegeler/Reuters
Key Points
- FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first football world cup to have 48 teams -- an expansion from 32.
- Defending champions Argentina take on Algeria in their opening match on June 16.
- Brazil have won the most FIFA World Cup titles, having triumphed in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The largest tournament in football history will have 48 teams playing 104 matches.
This World Cup is the first to have 48 teams, an expansion from 32. The tournament previously had eight groups of four teams. Each would play the other teams in their group once, the best two in each group progressing to the round of 32.
Now, with the addition of 16 more teams the 2026 tournament will have 12 groups of four. Each team plays the other in their group once. The best two and the eight best-ranked third-placed sides from the 12 groups progress to the last 32, meaning there is an extra knock-out round.
Co-hosts Mexico clash against South Africa in the tournament opener on June 12 (12.30am IST), while defending champions Argentina take on Algeria in their opening match on June 17 (6.30am IST).
Check out the complete schedule in Indian Standard Time below:
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 12, Friday | Group A: Mexico vs South Africa | 12:30 AM | Mexico City |
| June 12, Friday | Group A: South Korea vs Czechia | 7:30 AM | Zapopan |
| June 13, Saturday | Group B: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12:30 AM | Toronto |
| June 13, Saturday | Group D: USA vs Paraguay | 6:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 14, Sunday | Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland | 12:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| June 14, Sunday | Group C: Brazil vs Morocco | 3:30 AM | New Jersey |
| June 14, Sunday | Group C: Haiti vs Scotland | 6:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 14, Sunday | Group D: Australia vs Türkiye | 9:30 AM | Vancouver |
| June 14, Sunday | Group E: Germany vs Curaçao | 10:30 PM | Houston |
| June 15, Monday | Group F: Netherlands vs Japan | 1:30 AM | Arlington |
| June 15, Monday | Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 4:30 AM | Philadelphia |
| June 15, Monday | Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia | 7:30 AM | Guadalajara |
| June 15, Monday | Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde | 9:30 PM | Atlanta |
| June 16, Tuesday | Group G: Belgium vs Egypt | 12:30 AM | Seattle |
| June 16, Tuesday | Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 3:30 AM | Miami |
| June 16, Tuesday | Group G: Iran vs New Zealand | 6:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 16, Tuesday | Group I: France vs Senegal | 12:30 AM | New Jersey |
| June 16, Tuesday | Group I: Iraq vs Norway | 3:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 17, Wednesday | Group J: Argentina vs Algeria | 6:30 AM | Kansas City |
| June 17, Wednesday | Group J: Austria vs Jordan | 9:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| June 17, Wednesday | Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo | 10:30 PM | Houston |
| June 17, Wednesday | Group L: England vs Croatia | 1:30 AM | Arlington |
| June 18, Thursday | Group L: Ghana vs Panama | 4:30 AM | Toronto |
| June 18, Thursday | Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 7:30 AM | Mexico City |
| June 18, Thursday | Group A: Czechia vs South Africa | 9:30 PM | Atlanta |
| June 19, Friday | Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 19, Friday | Group B: Canada vs Qatar | 3:30 AM | Vancouver |
| June 19, Friday | Group A: Mexico vs South Korea | 6:30 AM | Zapopan |
| June 19, Friday | Group D: USA vs Australia | 12:30 AM | Seattle |
| June 19, Friday | Group C: Scotland vs Morocco | 3:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 20, Saturday | Group C: Brazil vs Haiti | 6:00 AM | Philadelphia |
| June 20, Saturday | Group D: Türkiye vs Paraguay | 8:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| June 20, Saturday | Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden | 10:30 PM | Houston |
| June 21, Sunday | Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast | 1:30 AM | Toronto |
| June 21, Sunday | Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao | 5:30 AM | Kansas City |
| June 21, Sunday | Group F: Tunisia vs Japan | 9:30 AM | Guadalajara |
| June 21, Sunday | Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 9:30 PM | Atlanta |
| June 22, Monday | Group G: Belgium vs Iran | 12:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 22, Monday | Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 3:30 AM | Miami |
| June 22, Monday | Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt | 6:30 AM | Vancouver |
| June 22, Monday | Group J: Argentina vs Austria | 10:30 PM | Arlington |
| June 23, Tuesday | Group I: France vs Iraq | 2:30 AM | Philadelphia |
| June 23, Tuesday | Group I: Norway vs Senegal | 5:30 AM | Toronto |
| June 23, Tuesday | Group J: Jordan vs Algeria | 8:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| June 23, Tuesday | Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 10:30 PM | Houston |
| June 24, Wednesday | Group L: England vs Ghana | 1:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 24, Wednesday | Group L: Panama vs Croatia | 4:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 24, Wednesday | Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo | 7:30 AM | Zapopan |
| June 25, Thursday | Group B: Switzerland vs Canada | 12:30 AM | Vancouver |
| June 25, Thursday | Group B: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar | 12:30 AM | Seattle |
| June 25, Thursday | Group C: Morocco vs Haiti | 3:30 AM | Atlanta |
| June 25, Thursday | Group C: Scotland vs Brazil | 3:30 AM | Miami |
| June 25, Thursday | Group A: South Africa vs South Korea | 6:30 AM | Guadalajara |
| June 25, Thursday | Group A: Czechia vs Mexico | 6:30 AM | Mexico City |
| June 26, Friday | Group E: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 1:30 AM | Philadelphia |
| June 26, Friday | Group E: Ecuador vs Germany | 1:30 AM | New Jersey |
| June 26, Friday | Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands | 4:30 AM | Kansas City |
| June 26, Friday | Group F: Japan vs Sweden | 4:30 AM | Arlington |
| June 26, Friday | Group D: Türkiye vs USA | 7:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 26, Friday | Group D: Paraguay vs Australia | 7:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| June 27, Saturday | Group I: Norway vs France | 12:30 AM | Foxborough |
| June 27, Saturday | Group I: Senegal vs Iraq | 12:30 AM | Toronto |
| June 27, Saturday | Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | 5:30 AM | Houston |
| June 27, Saturday | Group H: Uruguay vs Spain | 5:30 AM | Zapopan |
| June 27, Saturday | Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium | 8:30 AM | Vancouver |
| June 27, Saturday | Group G: Egypt vs Iran | 8:30 AM | Seattle |
| June 28, Sunday | Group L: Panama vs England | 2:30 AM | New Jersey |
| June 28, Sunday | Group L: Croatia vs Ghana | 2:30 AM | Philadelphia |
| June 28, Sunday | Group K: Colombia vs Portugal | 5:00 AM | Miami |
| June 28, Sunday | Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | 5:00 AM | Atlanta |
| June 28, Sunday | Group J: Algeria vs Austria | 7:30 AM | Kansas City |
| June 28, Sunday | Group J: Jordan vs Argentina | 7:30 AM | Arlington |
| June 29, Monday | R32: Match 73 - Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up | 12:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| June 29, Monday | R32: Match 74 - Group C winners vs Group F runners-up | 10:30 PM | Houston |
| June 30, Tuesday | R32: Match 75 - Group E winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 2:00 AM | Foxborough |
| June 30, Tuesday | R32: Match 76 - Group F winners vs Group C runners-up | 6:30 AM | Guadalajara |
| June 30, Tuesday | R32: Match 78 - Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up | 10:30 PM | Arlington |
| July 1, Wednesday | R32: Match 77 - Group I winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 2:30 AM | New Jersey |
| July 1, Wednesday | R32: Match 79 - Group A winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 6:30 AM | Mexico City |
| July 1, Wednesday | R32: Match 80 - Group L winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 9:30 PM | Atlanta |
| July 2, Thursday | R32: Match 82 - Group G winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 1:30 AM | Seattle |
| July 2, Thursday | R32: Match 81 - Group D winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 1:30 AM | Santa Clara |
| July 2, Thursday | R32: Match 84 - Group H winners vs Group J runners-up | 5:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| July 3, Friday | R32: Match 83 - Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up | 12:30 AM | Toronto |
| July 3, Friday | R32: Match 85 - Group B winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 4:30 AM | Vancouver |
| July 3, Friday | R32: Match 88 - Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up | 8:30 AM | Arlington |
| July 3, Friday | R32: Match 86 - Group J winners vs Group H runners-up | 11:30 PM | Miami |
| July 4, Saturday | R32: Match 87 - Group K winners vs Best Third-Placed Team | 3:30 AM | Kansas City |
| July 4, Saturday | R16: Match 90 - Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 | 7:00 AM | Houston |
| July 4, Saturday | R16: Match 89 - Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 | 10:30 PM | Philadelphia |
| July 5, Sunday | R16: Match 91 - Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 | 2:30 AM | New Jersey |
| July 6, Monday | R16: Match 92 - Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 | 1:30 AM | Mexico City |
| July 6, Monday | R16: Match 93 - Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 | 5:30 AM | Arlington |
| July 7, Tuesday | R16: Match 94 - Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 | 1:30 AM | Seattle |
| July 7, Tuesday | R16: Match 95 - Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 | 9:30 PM | Atlanta |
| July 8, Wednesday | R16: Match 96 - Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 | 1:30 AM | Vancouver |
| July 10, Friday | Quarter-Final 1 | 1:30 AM | Foxborough |
| July 11, Saturday | Quarter-Final 2 | 12:30 AM | Los Angeles |
| July 12, Sunday | Quarter-Final 3 | 2:30 AM | Miami |
| July 12, Sunday | Quarter-Final 4 | 6:30 AM | Kansas City |
| July 15, Wednesday | Semi-Final 1 | 12:30 AM | Arlington |
| July 16, Thursday | Semi-Final 2 | 12:30 AM | Atlanta |
| July 19, Sunday | Third Place Play-Off | 2:30 AM | Miami |
| July 20, Monday | FINAL | 12:30 AM | New Jersey |
Where To Watch: The FIFA World Cup will be broadcast live on television by Zee Entertainment through their newly launched Unite8 Sports network, while live streaming will be available on Zee 5 app.