World Cup 2026 Fixtures: Full Schedule, Venues and Kick-Off Times

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just days away, with the expanded 48-team tournament set to begin across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Final squads are being confirmed as teams prepare for their opening group-stage matches in a competition that will stretch over 39 days and feature 104 games, 40 more than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The event is expected to draw global attention as several of football’s biggest stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, may be appearing on the World Cup stage for the final time in their careers.

The group draw has produced a wide-ranging field, with Mexico, Canada and the United States each placed in prominent positions as co-hosts. Mexico will face South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic in Group A, while Canada is in Group B with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland. The United States will compete in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. Other notable groups include Brazil with Morocco, Haiti and Scotland; Germany with Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador; Spain with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay; France with Senegal, Iraq and Norway; Argentina with Algeria, Austria and Jordan; Portugal with Congo DR, Uzbekistan and Colombia; and England with Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

The tournament will open at Mexico City’s historic Azteca Stadium, a venue deeply associated with World Cup history. The stadium is remembered for Diego Maradona’s famous performances against England at the 1986 World Cup and has also hosted two legendary finals: Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Italy in 1970 and Argentina’s 3-2 win over West Germany in 1986, sealed by Jorge Burruchaga’s late winner. The choice of venue adds a historic backdrop to the start of the first World Cup ever staged across three countries.

Hosting responsibilities are spread across the region, with Mexico and Canada each set to stage 13 matches, while the United States will host 78 games. From the quarter-finals onward, all remaining matches will take place in the United States, culminating in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The schedule underscores the scale of the tournament and the central role the US will play in the knockout stages.

The World Cup begins on 11 June in Mexico and ends with the final on 19 July in New Jersey. With a larger format, more host cities and a broader continental footprint, the 2026 tournament is set to be the biggest World Cup in history, combining North American hosting duties with a highly anticipated competition that will shape the next chapter of football’s global story.