FIFA World Cup 2026 Full Schedule in IST:The FIFA World Cup 2026 promises to become the largest ever event in the football calendar, with 48 teams taking part and 104 matches being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The extended championship is scheduled to take place between June 11 and July 19 and will be a treat for all football fans who look forward to watching some of the best national teams compete in a month-long championship.
For sports fans in India, however, the championship will feature some long evenings and sleepless nights because of the significant time difference between India and the three countries hosting the championship.
Here is everything you need to know about the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Indian Standard Time (IST), including the complete group-stage fixture list, knockout dates, format and broadcast details.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Key Dates
Stage | Dates |
Group Stage | June 11 - June 27 |
Round of 32 | June 28 - July 3 |
Round of 16 | July 4 - July 7 |
Quarter-finals | July 9 - July 11 |
Semi-finals | July 14 - July 15 |
Third-place Playoff | July 18 |
Final | July 19 |
How Does The FIFA World Cup 2026 Format Work?
The 2026 edition marks a historic expansion from 32 teams to 48 teams.
The qualified nations have been divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Every team will play three group-stage matches, facing each of the other teams in their group once.
The top two teams from every group will automatically qualify for the knockout stage. In addition, the eight best third-placed teams across all groups will also advance, meaning 32 teams will progress to the next round.
Unlike previous editions where the knockout stage began with the Round of 16, the expanded tournament introduces a new Round of 32.
The knockout format will be:
Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarter-finals → Semi-finals → Third-Place Playoff → Final
FIFA World Cup 2026 Full Group-Stage Schedule (IST)
Date (IST) | Match | Kick-Off (IST) |
Fri, 12 Jun | Mexico vs South Africa | 12:30 a.m. |
Fri, 12 Jun | South Korea vs Czechia | 7:30 a.m. |
Sat, 13 Jun | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 12:30 a.m. |
Sat, 13 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | 6:30 a.m. |
Sun, 14 Jun | Qatar vs Switzerland | 12:30 a.m. |
Sun, 14 Jun | Brazil vs Morocco | 3:30 a.m. |
Sun, 14 Jun | Haiti vs Scotland | 6:30 a.m. |
Sun, 14 Jun | Australia vs Türkiye | 9:30 a.m. |
Sun, 14 Jun | Germany vs Curaçao | 10:30 p.m. |
Mon, 15 Jun | Netherlands vs Japan | 1:30 a.m. |
Mon, 15 Jun | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 4:30 a.m. |
Mon, 15 Jun | Sweden vs Tunisia | 7:30 a.m. |
Mon, 15 Jun | Spain vs Cape Verde | 9:30 p.m. |
Tue, 16 Jun | Belgium vs Egypt | 12:30 a.m. |
Tue, 16 Jun | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 3:30 a.m. |
Tue, 16 Jun | Iran vs New Zealand | 6:30 a.m. |
Wed, 17 Jun | France vs Senegal | 12:30 a.m. |
Wed, 17 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | 3:30 a.m. |
Wed, 17 Jun | Argentina vs Algeria | 6:30 a.m. |
Wed, 17 Jun | Austria vs Jordan | 9:30 a.m. |
Wed, 17 Jun | Portugal vs DR Congo | 10:30 p.m. |
Thu, 18 Jun | England vs Croatia | 1:30 a.m. |
Thu, 18 Jun | Ghana vs Panama | 4:30 a.m. |
Thu, 18 Jun | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 7:30 a.m. |
Thu, 18 Jun | Czechia vs South Africa | 9:30 p.m. |
Fri, 19 Jun | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 12:30 a.m. |
Fri, 19 Jun | Canada vs Qatar | 3:30 a.m. |
Fri, 19 Jun | Mexico vs South Korea | 6:30 a.m. |
Sat, 20 Jun | USA vs Australia | 12:30 a.m. |
Sat, 20 Jun | Scotland vs Morocco | 3:30 a.m. |
Sat, 20 Jun | Brazil vs Haiti | 6:30 a.m. |
Sat, 20 Jun | Türkiye vs Paraguay | 9:30 a.m. |
Sat, 20 Jun | Netherlands vs Sweden | 10:30 p.m. |
Sun, 21 Jun | Germany vs Ivory Coast | 1:30 a.m. |
Sun, 21 Jun | Ecuador vs Curaçao | 5:30 a.m. |
Sun, 21 Jun | Tunisia vs Japan | 9:30 a.m. |
Sun, 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 9:30 p.m. |
Mon, 22 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 12:30 a.m. |
Mon, 22 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 3:30 a.m. |
Mon, 22 Jun | New Zealand vs Egypt | 6:30 a.m. |
Mon, 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 10:30 p.m. |
Tue, 23 Jun | France vs Iraq | 2:30 a.m. |
Tue, 23 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 5:30 a.m. |
Tue, 23 Jun | Jordan vs Algeria | 8:30 a.m. |
Tue, 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 10:30 p.m. |
Wed, 24 Jun | England vs Ghana | 1:30 a.m. |
Wed, 24 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 4:30 a.m. |
Wed, 24 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 7:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | Switzerland vs Canada | 12:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | 12:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 3:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | Morocco vs Haiti | 3:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 6:30 a.m. |
Thu, 25 Jun | South Africa vs South Korea | 6:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 1:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Ecuador vs Germany | 1:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Japan vs Sweden | 4:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Tunisia vs Netherlands | 4:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Türkiye vs USA | 7:30 a.m. |
Fri, 26 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | 7:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | Norway vs France | 12:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | 12:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | 5:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | Uruguay vs Spain | 5:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | Egypt vs Iran | 8:30 a.m. |
Sat, 27 Jun | New Zealand vs Belgium | 8:30 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | Panama vs England | 2:30 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | Croatia vs Ghana | 2:30 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | Colombia vs Portugal | 5:00 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | 5:00 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | Algeria vs Austria | 7:30 a.m. |
Sun, 28 Jun | Jordan vs Argentina | 7:30 a.m. |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Knockout Schedule (IST)
Stage | Dates (IST) | Kick-Off |
Round of 32 | June 29 - July 4 | Late night / Early morning |
Round of 16 | July 5 - July 8 | Late night / Early morning |
Quarter-finals | July 10 - July 12 | Late night / Early morning |
Semi-finals | July 15 & 16 | 12:30 a.m. |
Third-Place Playoff | July 19 | 2:30 a.m. |
Final | July 20 | 12:30 a.m. |
The final will take place on July 19 in New York/New Jersey, which translates to 12:30 a.m. IST on July 20 for viewers in India.
When And Where To Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 In India?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be broadcast live on United 8 Sports Network in India, while live streaming will be available on ZEE5.
With a record 48 teams, 104 matches and football's biggest stars set to take center stage, fans can look forward to over a month of world-class action as the road to the FIFA World Cup trophy unfolds across North America.