The countdown to the biggest tournament in football has already begun. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be unlike anything the sport has seen before, with more teams, more matches, and more drama spread across three host nations.
The 2026 edition will be played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico and will expand to feature 48 teams for the first time, reshaping the format and the match calendar. For the first time in the tournament's history, the knockout stages will begin with a round of 32 featuring all 24 first- and second-placed teams, as well as the eight best third-placed teams.
With games taking place across the three countries, the 39-day tournament will feature 104 matches across different time zones and a schedule we have never seen the likes of before in football.
During the 39 days the FIFA World Cup will take place, football fans will only have moments of peace on July 8th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th, as those are the only five days without scheduled matches. There will be no days off until after the round of 16.
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place in the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the same ground where Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy in 1986. The game draws striking similarities to the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010, as Mexico will take on South Africa on matchday 1.
On Friday, June 12th, Canada will take on Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto for their opening match as hosts, while the United States will take on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on the same day.
In this complete Flashscore guide, you’ll find everything you need to track the tournament: key dates, fixture breakdowns, and kickoff times across major time zones, so you can stay abreast of football’s greatest showcase.
To stay up to date with all the latest FIFA World Cup news, check out the Flashscore website or download the Flashscore app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
World Cup key dates of rounds
Group stage: June 11-27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarter-finals: July 9-11
Semi-finals: July 14-15
Third-place play-off: July 18
Final: July 19
Full 2026 World Cup Schedule by Day
(All times in EU time / CEST)
Matchday 1 — June 11–18
Thursday, June 11
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, kick-off 21.00 – Mexico City, Mexico
Friday, June 12
Group A: South Korea vs UEFA Path D, kick-off 16.00 – Guadalajara, Mexico
Group B: Canada vs UEFA Path A, kick-off 21.00 – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 13
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, kick-off 02.00 – Los Angeles, USA
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, kick-off 21.00 – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Sunday, June 14
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, kick-off 00.00 – New Jersey, USA
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, kick-off 03.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Group D: Australia vs UEFA Path C, kick-off 06.00 – Vancouver, Canada
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, kick-off 19.00 – Houston, USA
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, kick-off 22.00 – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Monday, June 15
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, kick-off 01.00 – Philadelphia, USA
Group F: UEFA Path B vs Tunisia, kick-off 04.00 – Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde, kick-off 18.00 – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt, kick-off 21.00 – Seattle, USA
Tuesday, June 16
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, kick-off 00.00 – Miami, USA
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, kick-off 03.00 – Los Angeles, USA
Group I: France vs Senegal, kick-off 21.00 – New Jersey, USA
Wednesday, June 17
Group I: Playoff 2 vs Norway, kick-off 00.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, kick-off 03.00 – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, kick-off 06.00 – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Group K: Portugal vs Playoff 1, kick-off 19.00 – Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Croatia, kick-off 22.00 – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Thursday, June 18
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, kick-off 01.00 – Toronto, Canada
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, kick-off 04.00 – Mexico City, Mexico
Matchday 2 — June 18–24
Thursday, June 18
Group A: UEFA Path D vs South Africa, kick-off 18.00 – Atlanta, USA
Group B: Switzerland vs UEFA Path A, kick-off 21.00 – Los Angeles, USA
Friday, June 19
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, kick-off 00.00 – Vancouver, Canada
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, kick-off 03.00 – Guadalajara, Mexico
Group D: USA vs Australia, kick-off 21.00 – Seattle, USA
Saturday, June 20
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, kick-off 00.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, kick-off 03.00 – Philadelphia, USA
Group D: UEFA Path C vs Paraguay, kick-off 06.00 – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Group F: Netherlands vs UEFA Path B, kick-off 19.00 – Houston, USA
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 22.00 – Toronto, Canada
Sunday, June 21
Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, kick-off 02.00 – Kansas City, USA
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, kick-off 06.00 – Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 18.00 – Atlanta, USA
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, kick-off 21.00 – Los Angeles, USA
Monday, June 22
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, kick-off 00.00 – Miami, USA
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, kick-off 03.00 – Vancouver, Canada
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, kick-off 19.00 – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Group I: France vs Playoff 2, kick-off 23.00 – Philadelphia, USA
Tuesday, June 23
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, kick-off 02.00 – Toronto, Canada
Group J: Jordan vs Algeria, kick-off 05.00 – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 19.00 – Houston, USA
Group L: England vs Ghana, kick-off 22.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Wednesday, June 24
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, kick-off 01.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Group K: Colombia vs Playoff 1, kick-off 04.00 – Guadalajara, Mexico
Matchday 3 — June 24–28
Wednesday, June 24
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, kick-off 21.00 – Vancouver, Canada
Group B: UEFA Path A vs Qatar, kick-off 21.00 – Seattle, USA
Thursday, June 25
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, kick-off 00.00– Atlanta, USA
Group C: Scotland vs Brazil, kick-off 00.00 – Miami, USA
Group A: UEFA Path D vs Mexico, kick-off 03.00 – Mexico City, Mexico
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, kick-off 03.00– Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico
Group E: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast, kick-off 22.00 – Philadelphia, USA
Group E: Ecuador vs Germany, kick-off 22.00 – New Jersey, USA
Friday, June 26
Group F: Japan vs UEFA Path B, kick-off 01.00 – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, kick-off 01.00 – Kansas City, USA
Group D: UEFA Path C vs USA, kick-off 04.00 – Los Angeles, USA
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, kick-off 04.00 – Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA
Group I: Norway vs France, kick-off 21.00 – Foxborough (Boston), USA
Group I: Senegal vs Playoff 2, kick-off 21.00 – Toronto, Canada
Saturday, June 27
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, kick-off 02.00 – Houston, USA
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, kick-off 02.00 – Guadalajara, Mexico
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, kick-off 05.00 – Vancouver, Canada
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, kick-off 05.00 – Seattle, USA
Group L: Panama vs England, kick-off 23.00 – New Jersey, USA
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, kick-off 23.00 – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, June 28
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, kick-off 01.30 – Miami, USA
Group K: Playoff 1 vs Uzbekistan, kick-off 01.30 – Atlanta, USA
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, kick-off 04.00 – Kansas City, USA
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, kick-off 04.00 – Arlington (Dallas), USA
Round of 32 – June 28 to July 3
Sunday, June 28
21.00 – Group A Runners-up vs Group B Runners-up (Match 73) Los Angeles, USA
Monday, June 29
19.00 – Group C Winners vs Group F Runners-up (Match 76)Houston, USA
22.30 – Group E Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 74)Boston, USA
Tuesday, June 30
03.00 – Group F Winners vs Group C Runners-up (Match 75) Monterrey, Mexico
19.00 – Group E Runners-up vs Group I Runners-up (Match 78)Dallas, USA
23.00 – Group I Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 77) New York City, USA
Wednesday, July 1
03.00 – Group A Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 79)Mexico City, Mexico
18.00 – Group L Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 80)Atlanta, USA
22.00 – Group G Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 82) Seattle, USA
Thursday, July 2
02.00 – Group D Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 81)San Francisco, USA
21.00 – Group H Winners vs Group J Runners-up (Match 84)Los Angeles, USA
Friday, July 3
01.00 – Group K Runners-up vs Group L Runners-up (Match 83)Toronto, Canada
05.00 – Group B Winners vs Best 3rd Place(Match 85)Vancouver, Canada
20.00 – Group J Winners vs Group H Runners-up(Match 88)Dallas, USA
Saturday, July 4
00.00 – Group D Runners-up vs Group G Runners-up (Match 86)Miami, USA
02.30 – Group K Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 87) Vancouver, Canada
Round of 16 – July 4–7
Saturday, July 4
19.00 – Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 (Match 90) – Houston, USA
23.00 – Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 (Match 89) – Philadelphia, USA
Sunday, July 5
22.00 – Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 (Match 91) – New York City, USA
Monday, July 6
02.00 – Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 (Match 92) – Mexico City, Mexico
21.00 – Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 (Match 93) – Dallas, USA
Tuesday, July 7
02.00 – Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 (Match 94) – Seattle, USA
18.00 – Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 (Match 95) – Atlanta, USA
22.00 – Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 (Match 96) – Vancouver, Canada
Quarter-Finals – July 9–11
Thursday, July 9
22.00 – Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90 (Match 97) - Boston, USA
Friday, July 10
21.00 – Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 (Match 98) - Los Angeles, USA
Saturday, July 11
23.00 – Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96 (Match 99) - Miami, USA
Sunday, July 12
03.00 – Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92 (Match 100) - Kansas City, USA
Semi-Finals – July 14–15
Tuesday, July 14
21.00 – Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98 (Match 101) - Dallas, USA
Wednesday, July 15
21.00 – Winner Match 99 vs Winner 100 (Match 102) - Atlanta, USA
Third-Place Play-Off
Saturday, July 18
23.00 – Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102 (Match 103) - Miami, USA
Final
Sunday, July 19
21.00 – Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102 (Match 104) - New York, USA - New Jersey Stadium