FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule: Every Match, Every Date

The full calendar runs 39 days from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Group stage games dominate the first 17 days; the knockout phase opens with a brand-new round of 32 on June 28 and culminates in the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.

FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule overview

The full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule was first published in February 2024 and updated in June 2024 once knockout-round venues were locked in. With 12 groups of four teams playing three group games each, plus 32 knockout fixtures, the calendar is denser than any previous edition. Three or four matches per day during the group stage is the norm, dropping to two on knockout days and one at the latter stages.

Each of the three host nations plays all of its group fixtures on home soil. The U.S. plays its group games in Inglewood (SoFi Stadium), Seattle, and Los Angeles; Mexico plays in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey; Canada plays in Toronto and Vancouver. From the round of 32 onward, every match on the FIFA World Cup schedule takes place in the United States.

Key tournament dates at a glance

How the calendar is structured

The expanded format produces a different rhythm to previous editions. Instead of eight groups of four playing simultaneously across three matchdays, the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule runs twelve groups in staggered start windows, with multiple groups sharing each matchday. That means there's almost continuous coverage during the group stage — three or four matches a day with overlap between regions.

Group stage fixtures favour timezone-friendly slots for North American audiences while accommodating European prime time for the marquee European matchups. Late group games are paired so that teams in the same group kick off at the same moment, removing the third-matchday tactical edge for the team kicking off later.

Group stage match windows

1. Matchday 1 (June 11–16)The opening match in Mexico City headlines a six-day stretch in which every group plays its first round of fixtures.
2. Matchday 2 (June 17–21)Five days of second-round group games — the busiest stretch on the schedule, often with four matches per day.
3. Matchday 3 (June 22–27)Final-round group games run with simultaneous kickoffs within each group to preserve sporting integrity.

Knockout phase

1. Round of 32 (June 28 – July 3)The new round introduced for this edition. 16 fixtures over six days, played at venues across North America.
2. Round of 16 (July 4 – 7)Eight winners advance to the quarter-finals. July 4 attracts U.S. domestic interest.
3. Quarter-finals (July 9 – 11)Four ties spread across three days, all in the United States.
4. Semi-finals (July 14 – 15)Two ties on consecutive evenings.
5. Third-place playoff & final (July 18 – 19)The bronze medal match precedes the final by one day.

Match calendar planning tips

If you're planning to attend matches in person, the schedule rewards picking a single host city and committing to its full match slate rather than trying to chase fixtures across countries. Travel between US, Canada, and Mexico venues during the group stage is taxing, and host-city presale tickets for residents are a separate sales track from the global lottery — see the tickets page for full details.

For neutral fans following the action, the matchday structure means there's no "rest day" during the group stage. Expect midweek matches at lunchtime, late afternoon, and evening kickoffs in your local time, with weekends weighted heavily toward marquee group-stage clashes. Once the knockout rounds begin, every match is essentially a final — a longer recovery window of one or two days between each round protects the players but compresses the spectacle into bursts.

What to know about the match schedule and venues

Each of the 16 host cities has been assigned a specific number of matches based on stadium capacity, infrastructure, and travel logistics. New York / New Jersey gets the final, plus a semi-final. Dallas (AT&T Stadium) gets the other semi-final. Atlanta and Los Angeles each host nine matches across the tournament, the most of any city. Vancouver and Toronto have group games and a round of 32 fixture each. The Mexican host cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey — host all of Mexico's group games plus a round of 32 match each. The full venue allocation is on our host cities page.

For full group-by-group fixtures and pot allocations, see the groups and draw page. For knockout-round bracket projections and routes to the final, see our brackets page.

Following the action: betting and live coverage

Matchday markets at sportsbooks open roughly seven days before each kickoff for outright winner, both teams to score, totals, and player-prop markets. For the group stage, expect each group's matches to be paired in betting "specials" (group winner, qualification odds) that update after every result. SpinBetter publishes its full World Cup market list ahead of each matchday, including in-play markets that activate at kickoff. Where to actually watch each match is covered in our streaming and broadcast guide.

Frequently asked questions about the schedule