The FIFA World Cup 2026 marks a historic expansion of international football, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. For the first time ever, the final tournament will feature 48 national teams, increasing the total number of matches to 104 and extending the competition over 39 days.
The action begins on Thursday, June 11, and culminates on Sunday, July 19, when the new world champions will be crowned. The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27, followed by an expanded knockout format that introduces a Round of 32 for the first time in World Cup history.
Tournament Structure at a Glance
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group automatically advance, joined by the eight best third-placed sides. The knockout phase then unfolds in a newly expanded format: Round of 32 (June 28–July 3), Round of 16 (July 4–7), quarter-finals (July 9–11), semi-finals (July 14–15), followed by the third-place match on July 18 and the final on July 19.
Group Stage Fixtures
June 11
• 22:00 — Mexico vs South Africa (Group A)
June 12
• 05:00 — South Korea vs Czech Republic (Group A)
• 22:00— Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)
June 13
• 04:00 — United States vs Paraguay (Group D)
• 07:00 — Australia vs Turkey (Group D)
• 22:00 — Qatar vs Switzerland (Group B)
June 14
• 01:00 — Brazil vs Morocco (Group C)
• 04:00 — Haiti vs Scotland (Group C)
• 20:00 — Germany vs Curaçao (Group E)
• 23:00 — Netherlands vs Japan (Group F)
June 15
• 02:00 — Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E)
• 05:00 — Sweden vs Tunisia (Group F)
• 19:00 — Spain vs Cape Verde (Group H)
• 22:00 — Belgium vs Egypt (Group G)
June 16
• 01:00 — Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (Group H)
• 04:00 — Iran vs New Zealand (Group G)
• 07:00 — Austria vs Jordan (Group J)
• 22:00 — France vs Senegal (Group I)
June 17
• 01:00 — Iraq / Bolivia vs Norway (Group I)
• 04:00 — Argentina vs Algeria (Group J)
• 20:00 — Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo (Group K)
• 23:00 — England vs Croatia (Group L)
June 18
• 02:00 — Ghana vs Panama (Group L)
• 05:00 — Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K)
• 07:00 — Czech Republic vs South Africa (Group A)
• 22:00 — Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)
June 19
• 01:00 — Canada vs Qatar (Group B)
• 04:00 — Mexico vs South Korea (Group A)
• 07:00 — Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D)
• 22:00 — United States vs Australia (Group D)
June 20
• 01:00 — Scotland vs Morocco (Group C)
• 04:00 — Brazil vs Haiti (Group C)
• 07:00 — Tunisia vs Japan (Group F)
• 20:00 — Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F)
• 23:00 — Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E)
June 21
• 03:00 — Ecuador vs Curaçao (Group E)
• 19:00 — Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H)
• 22:00 — Belgium vs Iran (Group G)
June 22
• 01:00 — Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H)
• 04:00 — New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G)
• 20:00 — Argentina vs Austria (Group J)
June 23
• 00:00 — France vs Iraq / Bolivia (Group I)
• 03:00 — Norway vs Senegal (Group I)
• 06:00 — Jordan vs Algeria (Group J)
• 20:00 — Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K)
• 23:00 — England vs Ghana (Group L)
June 24
• 02:00 — Panama vs Croatia (Group L)
• 05:00 — Colombia vs Democratic Republic of the Congo (Group K)
• 22:00 — Switzerland vs Canada (Group B)
• 22:00 — Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B)
June 25
• 01:00 — Morocco vs Haiti (Group C)
• 01:00 — Scotland vs Brazil (Group C)
• 04:00 — South Africa vs South Korea (Group A)
• 04:00 — Czech Republic vs Mexico (Group A)
June 26
• 02:00 — Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F)
• 02:00 — Japan vs Sweden (Group F)
• 05:00 — Turkey vs United States (Group D)
• 05:00 — Paraguay vs Australia (Group D)
• 22:00 — Norway vs France (Group I)
• 22:00 — Senegal vs Iraq / Bolivia (Group I)
June 27
• 03:00 — Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H)
• 03:00 — Uruguay vs Spain (Group H)
• 06:00 — New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G)
• 06:00 — Egypt vs Iran (Group G)
