FIFA World Cup 2026: Full Schedule, team fixtures, Key Dates & What to Know
The FIFA 2026 World Cup, the biggest edition in history, will span three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will be the first time three nations with 48 Teams host together, setting the stage for an epic global festival of football.
This largest tournament will feature 12 groups of 4 teams each.
Some FWC 2026 highlights:
- 48 national teams will compete up from the traditional 32
- A total of 104 matches will be played, spread over nearly six weeks making this the largest World Cup ever.
- The tournament runs from June 11, 2026 (opening match) to July 19, 2026 (final) at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA.
With new format changes and expanded participation, 2026 promises more drama, more teams, and more unforgettable football.
| Phase | Dates | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | June 11 – June 27, 2026 | 12 groups of 4 teams each, playing round-robin matches. Top two in each group advance, plus the eight best third-placed teams |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3, 2026 | First knockout stage after group phase. |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 7, 2026 | Last 16 teams fight for quarter-final spots. |
| Quarter-finals | July 9 – July 11, 2026 | Eight teams battle for semi-final berths. |
| Semi-finals | July 14 – July 15, 2026 | Four teams vie for a place in the final. |
| Third-Place Playoff | July 18, 2026 | Bronze-medal match third-place decider. |
| Final | July 19, 2026 | Championship match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Trophy
World Cup 2026 Key Facts
Before we dive into daily fixtures, here is a quick snapshot of the World Cup 2026 tournament format and timeline.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Host countries | United States, Canada, Mexico |
| Dates | 11 June 2026 – 19 July 2026 (39 days of football) |
| Total teams | 48 national teams from all six confederations |
| Groups | 12 groups (A to L), 4 teams per group |
| Total matches | 104 matches (group stage + expanded knockouts) |
| Opening match | Group A, Mexico (host) at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Final venue | MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey, USA |
| New format | Top 2 teams in each group + 8 best third-placed teams move into a 32-team knockout bracket. |
World Cup 2026 Groups & Tournament Format
The tournament uses a simple but packed structure. Each team plays three group-stage games and then, if they advance, enters a long knockout path toward the trophy.
Group Allocation (A–L)
The exact teams in each group will be set at the World Cup draw. For now, the group framework and host nation placement are already known:
| Group | Seed / Host | Group slots | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico (Host) | A1 (Mexico), A2, A3, A4 | Opening match expected here with Mexico at home. |
| Group B | Canada (Host) | B1 (Canada), B2, B3, B4 | Matches mainly in Canadian venues. |
| Group C | Top seeded team | C1, C2, C3, C4 | Standard four-team round robin. |
| Group D | USA (Host) | D1 (USA), D2, D3, D4 | USA opens group play on home soil. |
| Groups E–L | Seeded by FIFA ranking | E1–E4 … L1–L4 | Same 4-team, 3-match structure for each group. |
How teams advance from the group stage
- Each team plays 3 group matches (round-robin).
- Top 2 teams in every group (based on points, goal difference, etc.) qualify automatically.
- The 8 best third-placed teams also qualify.
- That creates a Round of 32, then standard knockouts down to the final.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule Overview
Here is the full World Cup 2026 schedule by phase. You can treat this as a World Cup 2026 time table for content planning or match-day viewing.
| Phase | Dates (2026) | Match Numbers | Number of Games | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | 11 June – 27 June | 1–72 | 72 matches | All 12 groups (A–L). Each team plays three matches. |
| Round of 32 | 28 June – 3 July | 73–88 | 16 matches | First knockout round with 32 teams. |
| Round of 16 | 4 July – 7 July | 89–96 | 8 matches | Classic last-16 stage. |
| Quarter-finals | 9 July – 11 July | 97–100 | 4 matches | Best eight teams in the tournament. |
| Semi-finals | 14 July – 15 July | 101–102 | 2 matches | Winners go to the World Cup final. |
| Third-Place Playoff | 18 July | 103 | 1 match | Losing semi-finalists meet for bronze. |
| Final | 19 July | 104 | 1 match | World Cup 2026 decider at MetLife Stadium. |
Sample day from the group stage
To show how busy match days look, here is an example from the first week (you can copy this format for a full date-wise fixtures section on your site):
| Date | Matches | Stadiums & Cities |
|---|---|---|
| 11 June 2026 |
Match 1 – Group A: Mexico vs A2 Match 2 – Group A: A3 vs A4 |
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (Mexico) Estadio Akron, Guadalajara / Zapopan (Mexico) |
| 12 June 2026 |
Match 3 – Group B: Canada vs B2 Match 4 – Group D: USA vs D2 |
BMO Field, Toronto (Canada) SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (USA) |
| 13 June 2026 |
Match 5 – Group C: C1 vs C2 Match 6 – Group D: D3 vs D4 Match 7 – Group C: C3 vs C4 Match 8 – Group B: B3 vs B4 |
Gillette Stadium, Boston area (USA) BC Place, Vancouver (Canada) MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey (USA) Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area (USA) |
You can expand this pattern and build a full date-wise World Cup 2026 fixtures section on your blog with all 72 group-stage matches once you are ready.
World Cup 2026 Knockout Schedule (Round of 32 to Final)
After the group stage, the tournament moves into a long knockout road. Below is a clean bracket schedule you can use for event blogging and live updates.
Round of 32 – Matchups & Venues
| Date | Match No. | Fixture (Placeholder) | Stadium / City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 June 2026 (Sun) | 73 | Group L winners vs Group E / H / I / J / K 3rd | Los Angeles Stadium, USA |
| 29 June 2026 (Mon) | 74 | Group E winners vs Group A / B / C / D / F 3rd | Boston Stadium, USA |
| 29 June 2026 (Mon) | 75 | Group F winners vs Group C runners-up | Estadio Monterrey, Mexico |
| 29 June 2026 (Mon) | 76 | Group C winners vs Group F runners-up | Houston Stadium, USA |
| 30 June 2026 (Tue) | 77 | Group I winners vs Group C / D / F / G / H 3rd | New York / New Jersey Stadium, USA |
| 30 June 2026 (Tue) | 78 | Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up | Dallas Stadium, USA |
| 30 June 2026 (Tue) | 79 | Group A winners vs Group C / E / F / H / I 3rd | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |
| 1 July 2026 (Wed) | 80 | Group L runners-up vs Group E / H / I / J / K 3rd | Atlanta Stadium, USA |
| 1 July 2026 (Wed) | 81 | Group D winners vs Group B / E / F / I / J 3rd | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, USA |
| 1 July 2026 (Wed) | 82 | Group G winners vs Group A / E / H / I / J 3rd | Seattle Stadium, USA |
| 2 July 2026 (Thu) | 83 | Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up | Toronto Stadium, Canada |
| 2 July 2026 (Thu) | 84 | Group H winners vs Group J runners-up | Los Angeles Stadium, USA |
| 2 July 2026 (Thu) | 85 | Group B winners vs Group E / F / G / I / J 3rd | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada |
| 3 July 2026 (Fri) | 86 | Group J winners vs Group H runners-up | Miami Stadium, USA |
| 3 July 2026 (Fri) | 87 | Group K winners vs Group D / E / I / J / L 3rd | Kansas City Stadium, USA |
| 3 July 2026 (Fri) | 88 | Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up | Dallas Stadium, USA |
Round of 16 – World Cup 2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match No. | Fixture | Stadium / City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2026 (Sat) | 89 | Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 | Philadelphia Stadium, USA |
| 4 July 2026 (Sat) | 90 | Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 | Houston Stadium, USA |
| 5 July 2026 (Sun) | 91 | Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 | New York / New Jersey Stadium, USA |
| 5 July 2026 (Sun) | 92 | Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |
| 6 July 2026 (Mon) | 93 | Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 | Dallas Stadium, USA |
| 6 July 2026 (Mon) | 94 | Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 | Seattle Stadium, USA |
| 7 July 2026 (Tue) | 95 | Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 | Atlanta Stadium, USA |
| 7 July 2026 (Tue) | 96 | Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada |
Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, Third Place & Final
| Round | Date | Match No. | Fixture | Stadium / City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final | 9 July 2026 (Thu) | 97 | Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90 | Boston Stadium, USA |
| Quarter-final | 10 July 2026 (Fri) | 98 | Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 | Los Angeles Stadium, USA |
| Quarter-final | 11 July 2026 (Sat) | 99 | Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92 | Miami Stadium, USA |
| Quarter-final | 11 July 2026 (Sat) | 100 | Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96 | Kansas City Stadium, USA |
| Semi-final | 14 July 2026 (Tue) | 101 | Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98 | Dallas Stadium, USA |
| Semi-final | 15 July 2026 (Wed) | 102 | Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100 | Atlanta Stadium, USA |
| Third-place playoff | 18 July 2026 (Sat) | 103 | Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102 | Miami Stadium, USA |
| World Cup Final | 19 July 2026 (Sun) | 104 | Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102 | MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey, USA |
This simple bracket layout is perfect for live blogging. You only need to fill in team names and scores when results are known.
Host Cities & Stadiums for World Cup 2026
The 2026 tournament spreads matches across 16 host cities in North America. That means huge travel options and completely different atmospheres in each region.
| Country | City | Example Stadium Name (Official branding may vary) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | New York / New Jersey | MetLife Stadium |
| Los Angeles | SoFi Stadium / LA Stadium | |
| Dallas / Arlington | AT&T Stadium | |
| Boston area | Gillette Stadium | |
| Philadelphia | Lincoln Financial Field | |
| Miami | Hard Rock Stadium | |
| Atlanta | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | |
| Houston | NRG Stadium | |
| Seattle | Lumen Field / Seattle Stadium | |
| San Francisco Bay Area | Levi’s Stadium | |
| Kansas City | Arrowhead / Kansas City Stadium | |
| Canada | Toronto | BMO Field / Toronto Stadium |
| Vancouver | BC Place | |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Estadio Azteca |
| Guadalajara | Estadio Akron | |
| Monterrey | Estadio BBVA / Estadio Monterrey |
Many fans will build travel plans around these cities, so content about travel guides, ticket tips, hotel areas and local food can rank very well around this event.
World Cup 2026 FAQ
When is the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The tournament is scheduled from 11 June 2026 to 19 July 2026. Group matches run from 11–27 June, followed by the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place playoff and the final.
How many teams will play in World Cup 2026?
A record 48 national teams will take part in the 2026 World Cup. They will be divided into 12 groups of four, giving fans more games and more chances to see new nations on the biggest stage.
Where is the 2026 World Cup final being played?
The World Cup 2026 final will be hosted at MetLife Stadium in the New York / New Jersey area of the USA. This will be Match 104, the last game of the tournament.
What is new about the 2026 World Cup format?
The big change is the move to 48 teams and an expanded knockout bracket. There are 12 groups of four teams. The top two in each group plus eight of the best third-placed teams go through, creating a Round of 32 before the usual last-16, quarter-final, semi-final and final.
When will full fixtures with team names and kick-off times be confirmed?
Team allocations to each group will be confirmed at the official World Cup draw. After that, FIFA and broadcasters will release full match-by-match fixtures with exact kick-off times in every time zone. You can then update this schedule with live team names, TV channels and results.
How can I use this schedule for event blogging?
You can treat this page as your evergreen World Cup 2026 schedule hub. Keep the tables and structure the same, and simply add:
- Team names once the draw is done.
- Live scores and scorers after each match.
- Short match reviews or highlight clips embeds.
- Internal links to match previews and predictions for extra traffic.