Sri Lanka fans, the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 12:30 AM SLST on Friday, June 12, and the Final wraps up at 12:30 AM SLST on Monday, July 20. Thirty-nine days, 104 matches, 48 teams, 16 stadiums across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. This is the biggest World Cup ever.
This page has the complete 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule converted to Sri Lanka Standard Time (SLST, UTC+5:30). The viewing picture is clear: the bulk of matches fall between midnight and mid-morning SLST. Roughly 40 of the 72 group stage matches kick off between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM SLST, another 24 land between 6:00 AM and noon, and about 8 fall in the late evening (after 9:00 PM). Set alarms, not reminders.
Key Kickoff Times at a Glance:
Event
Date (SLST)
Day
Time (SLST)
Venue
Opening Match (Mexico vs South Africa)
Jun 12
Fri
12:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
Brazil vs Morocco
Jun 14
Sun
3:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
France vs Senegal
Jun 17
Wed
12:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
Argentina vs Algeria
Jun 17
Wed
6:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
England vs Croatia
Jun 18
Thu
1:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
World Cup Final
Jul 20
Mon
12:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
What is Sri Lanka Standard Time (SLST)?
Sri Lanka Standard Time (SLST) is UTC+5:30, the same offset as Indian Standard Time. Sri Lanka does not observe daylight saving time, so SLST stays fixed year-round. During the World Cup in June and July 2026, SLST is 9 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Eastern Time (ET), which is the base timezone used across most US host venues.
Major cities on SLST include Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, and Negombo. If you are checking kickoff times from a neighbouring country, note that India shares the same UTC+5:30 offset. Pakistan (PKT) runs one hour behind SLST. Check out the full World Cup 2026 guide for a breakdown of all the time zones.
The 5:30 offset means no match lands in the afternoon window. The earliest evening kick-off is around 9:30 PM SLST (ET noon matches), and everything from the 3:00 PM ET slot onwards crosses midnight into the next SLST day.
World Cup 2026 Daily Match Times in SLST
Five ET time slots repeat throughout the group stage: 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM, and 11:00 PM (with a few exceptions). Here is how each maps to SLST.
ET Kickoff
SLST Kickoff
Best For
12:00 PM ET
9:30 PM SLST (same day)
Evening viewing before midnight
3:00 PM ET
12:30 AM SLST (next day)
Night owls and dedicated fans
6:00 PM ET
3:30 AM SLST (next day)
Early risers only
9:00 PM ET
6:30 AM SLST (next day)
Morning with coffee before work
11:00 PM ET
8:30 AM SLST (next day)
Comfortable weekend breakfast slot
In the knockout rounds, most matches stick to the 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM ET slots, landing at 12:30 AM and 2:30 AM SLST. The semifinals and Final are all at 3:00 PM ET, which means 12:30 AM SLST each time.
Best Matches at Manageable SLST Times:
#
Match
Date (SLST)
Day
Kickoff (SLST)
6
Australia vs Türkiye
Jun 14
Sun
9:30 AM
20
Austria vs Jordan
Jun 17
Wed
9:30 AM
25
Czechia vs South Africa
Jun 18
Thu
9:30 PM
31
Türkiye vs Paraguay
Jun 20
Sat
8:30 AM
36
Tunisia vs Japan
Jun 21
Sun
9:30 AM
38
Spain vs Saudi Arabia
Jun 21
Sun
9:30 PM
85
R32: Winner B vs Best 3rd
Jul 3
Fri
8:30 AM
95
R16: Winner M86 vs Winner M88
Jul 7
Tue
9:30 PM
World Cup 2026 Group Stage Schedule in SLST
The group stage runs from June 12 to June 28 in SLST (June 11 to June 27 ET). Forty-eight teams compete across 12 groups (A through L). The top two from each group advance, plus the eight best third-placed teams, for a total of 32 sides entering the new Round of 32. On the final matchday of each group, both matches kick off simultaneously to keep the result fair.
Friday, June 12 SLST (Opening Day)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
1
A
Mexico vs South Africa
12:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
2
A
South Korea vs Czechia
7:30 AM
Estadio Akron
Match 1 is a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opening match, when Mexico and South Africa drew 1-1 at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Tshabalala scored for the hosts, Marquez equalized for Mexico. Sixteen years later, the same two nations meet again.
Saturday, June 13 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
3
B
Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
12:30 AM
BMO Field
4
D
USA vs Paraguay
6:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
Sunday, June 14 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
8
B
Qatar vs Switzerland
12:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
7
C
Brazil vs Morocco
3:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
5
C
Haiti vs Scotland
6:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
Brazil and Morocco met in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16. This is a marquee group stage match given Morocco’s surprise semifinal run that year.
Sunday, June 14 SLST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
6
D
Australia vs Türkiye
9:30 AM
BC Place
10
E
Germany vs Curaçao
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
Monday, June 15 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
11
F
Netherlands vs Japan
1:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
9
E
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador
4:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
12
F
Sweden vs Tunisia
7:30 AM
Estadio BBVA
14
H
Spain vs Cape Verde
9:30 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Tuesday, June 16 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
16
G
Belgium vs Egypt
12:30 AM
Lumen Field
13
H
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
3:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
15
G
Iran vs New Zealand
6:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
Wednesday, June 17 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
17
I
France vs Senegal
12:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
18
I
Iraq vs Norway
3:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
19
J
Argentina vs Algeria
6:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
20
J
Austria vs Jordan
9:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
Argentina, the defending champions, open their tournament. Match 18 features Iraq’s first World Cup appearance since 1986, ending a 40-year absence.
Thursday, June 18 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
23
K
Portugal vs DR Congo
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
Friday, June 19 SLST (incl. England vs Croatia)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
22
L
England vs Croatia
1:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
21
L
Ghana vs Panama
4:30 AM
BMO Field
24
K
Uzbekistan vs Colombia
7:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
Match 22 is a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semifinal, when Croatia beat England 2-1 after extra time. The two have met in major tournaments multiple times since.
Friday, June 19 SLST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
25
A
Czechia vs South Africa
9:30 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Saturday, June 20 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
26
B
Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
12:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
27
B
Canada vs Qatar
3:30 AM
BC Place
28
A
Mexico vs South Korea
6:30 AM
Estadio Akron
32
D
USA vs Australia
12:30 AM
Lumen Field
30
C
Scotland vs Morocco
3:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
29
C
Brazil vs Haiti
6:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
31
D
Türkiye vs Paraguay
8:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
Saturday, June 20 SLST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
35
F
Netherlands vs Sweden
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
Sunday, June 21 SLST (1,000th World Cup Match)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
33
E
Germany vs Ivory Coast
1:30 AM
BMO Field
34
E
Ecuador vs Curaçao
5:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
36
F
Tunisia vs Japan
9:30 AM
Estadio BBVA
38
H
Spain vs Saudi Arabia
9:30 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Match 36 is the 1,000th match in World Cup history (964 prior matches plus 36 from this tournament). It kicks off in Monterrey at the Estadio BBVA.
Monday, June 22 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
39
G
Belgium vs Iran
12:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
37
H
Uruguay vs Cape Verde
3:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
40
G
New Zealand vs Egypt
6:30 AM
BC Place
43
J
Argentina vs Austria
10:30 PM
AT&T Stadium
Tuesday, June 23 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
42
I
France vs Iraq
2:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
41
I
Norway vs Senegal
5:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
44
J
Jordan vs Algeria
8:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
47
K
Portugal vs Uzbekistan
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
Wednesday, June 24 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
45
L
England vs Ghana
1:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
46
L
Panama vs Croatia
4:30 AM
BMO Field
48
K
Colombia vs DR Congo
7:30 AM
Estadio Akron
Thursday, June 25 SLST (Final Group Matchday B)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
51
B
Switzerland vs Canada
12:30 AM
BC Place
52
B
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar
12:30 AM
Lumen Field
49
C
Scotland vs Brazil
3:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
50
C
Morocco vs Haiti
3:30 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
53
A
Czechia vs Mexico
6:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
54
A
South Africa vs South Korea
6:30 AM
Estadio BBVA
Friday, June 26 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
55
E
Curaçao vs Ivory Coast
1:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
56
E
Ecuador vs Germany
1:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
57
F
Japan vs Sweden
4:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
58
F
Tunisia vs Netherlands
4:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
59
D
Türkiye vs USA
7:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
60
D
Paraguay vs Australia
7:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
Saturday, June 27 SLST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
61
I
Norway vs France
12:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
62
I
Senegal vs Iraq
12:30 AM
BMO Field
65
H
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
5:30 AM
NRG Stadium
66
H
Uruguay vs Spain
5:30 AM
Estadio Akron
63
G
Egypt vs Iran
8:30 AM
Lumen Field
64
G
New Zealand vs Belgium
8:30 AM
BC Place
Sunday, June 28 SLST (Final Group Matchdays K, L, J)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
67
L
Panama vs England
2:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
68
L
Croatia vs Ghana
2:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
71
K
Colombia vs Portugal
5:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
72
K
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
5:00 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
69
J
Algeria vs Austria
7:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
70
J
Jordan vs Argentina
7:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Schedule (SLST)
This stage is brand new. Never existed at any previous World Cup. Lose and your tournament is over. All 16 matches take place between June 29 and July 4 in SLST.
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
73
Jun 29
Mon
Runner-up A vs Runner-up B
12:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
76
Jun 29
Mon
Winner C vs Runner-up F
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
74
Jun 30
Tue
Winner E vs Best 3rd (A/B/C/D/F)
2:00 AM
Gillette Stadium
75
Jun 30
Tue
Winner F vs Runner-up C
6:30 AM
Estadio BBVA
78
Jun 30
Tue
Runner-up E vs Runner-up I
10:30 PM
AT&T Stadium
77
Jul 1
Wed
Winner I vs Best 3rd (C/D/F/G/H)
2:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
79
Jul 1
Wed
Winner A vs Best 3rd (C/E/F/H/I)
6:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
80
Jul 1
Wed
Winner L vs Best 3rd (E/H/I/J/K)
9:30 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
82
Jul 2
Thu
Winner G vs Best 3rd (A/E/H/I/J)
1:30 AM
Lumen Field
81
Jul 2
Thu
Winner D vs Best 3rd (B/E/F/I/J)
5:30 AM
Levi’s Stadium
84
Jul 3
Fri
Winner H vs Runner-up J
12:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
83
Jul 3
Fri
Runner-up K vs Runner-up L
4:30 AM
BMO Field
85
Jul 3
Fri
Winner B vs Best 3rd (E/F/G/I/J)
8:30 AM
BC Place
88
Fri Jul 3
Fri
Runner-up D vs Runner-up G
11:30 PM
AT&T Stadium
86
Jul 4
Sat
Winner J vs Runner-up H
3:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
87
Jul 4
Sat
Winner K vs Best 3rd (D/E/I/J/L)
7:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
World Cup 2026 Round of 16 Schedule (SLST)
Eight matches. Win or go home. The Round of 16 runs July 5 to July 8 in SLST.
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
90
Jul 4
Sat
Winner M73 vs Winner M75
10:30 PM
NRG Stadium
89
Jul 5
Sun
Winner M74 vs Winner M77
2:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field
91
Jul 6
Mon
Winner M76 vs Winner M78
1:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
92
Jul 6
Mon
Winner M79 vs Winner M80
5:30 AM
Estadio Azteca
93
Jul 7
Tue
Winner M83 vs Winner M84
12:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
94
Jul 7
Tue
Winner M81 vs Winner M82
5:30 AM
Lumen Field
95
Jul 7
Tue
Winner M86 vs Winner M88
9:30 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
96
Jul 8
Wed
Winner M85 vs Winner M87
1:30 AM
BC Place
World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final (SLST)
Quarterfinals
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
97
Jul 10
Fri
Winner M89 vs Winner M90
1:30 AM
Gillette Stadium
98
Jul 11
Sat
Winner M93 vs Winner M94
12:30 AM
SoFi Stadium
99
Jul 12
Sun
Winner M91 vs Winner M92
2:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
100
Jul 12
Sun
Winner M95 vs Winner M96
6:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
Semifinals
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
101
Jul 15
Wed
Winner M97 vs Winner M98
12:30 AM
AT&T Stadium
102
Jul 16
Thu
Winner M99 vs Winner M100
12:30 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Third-Place Match
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
103
Jul 19
Sun
Loser M101 vs Loser M102
2:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium
World Cup Final
#
Date (SLST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (SLST)
Venue
Capacity
104
Jul 20
Mon
Winner M101 vs Winner M102
12:30 AM
MetLife Stadium
78,576
The Final takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a FIFA World Cup tournament capacity of 78,576. The regular NFL capacity of 82,500 is reduced under FIFA’s wider field requirements. It will also be the first World Cup Final to feature a live halftime show. Coldplay manager Phil Harvey and Chris Martin are curating the performance, with up to 25 minutes on stage. Read more about what to expect at the World Cup 2026 halftime show.
How to Watch the World Cup 2026 in Sri Lanka
Official broadcasting details for Sri Lanka will be confirmed closer to the tournament. As of April 2026, FIFA’s media rights tender for the Indian subcontinent remains open. Check the FIFA official media rights list for updates. In the meantime, FIFA+ offers free streaming for select matches globally, and is worth bookmarking as a fallback.
What Sri Lanka Football Fans Need to Know
How many matches kick off at a reasonable hour in SLST?
About 8 group stage matches land in the evening window (9:30 PM to 10:30 PM SLST), making them the most watchable without losing sleep. Another 24 kick off in the morning (6:00 AM to noon SLST). The remaining 40 fall between midnight and 6:00 AM. Weekends are your best chance to stay up for the late kick-offs.
Can Sri Lanka fans attend the matches in person?
Yes. Tickets are available through FIFA’s official ticketing platform. Sri Lankan citizens travelling to the USA will need a valid US visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Canada and Mexico have separate entry requirements. Apply well in advance as processing times can vary significantly.
What is the best way to follow matches if I cannot watch live?
FIFA+ offers free highlights and some match replays. Social media platforms including YouTube carry official post-match clips shortly after the final whistle. Once a broadcaster is confirmed in Sri Lanka, check their app for on-demand catch-up. Setting score alerts on your phone means you can follow results without staying up through the night.
Does Sri Lanka observe daylight saving time during the World Cup?
No. Sri Lanka Standard Time (SLST) is fixed at UTC+5:30 year-round. No clocks change, so every kickoff time on this page applies from opening day to the Final without adjustment.
How many teams are making their World Cup debut in 2026?
Four nations appear at a World Cup for the first time: Cape Verde (Group H), Curaçao (Group E), Jordan (Group J), and Uzbekistan (Group K). Iraq also returns after a 40-year absence, last appearing in 1986.
What happens if a knockout match is level after 90 minutes?
Extra time adds two 15-minute periods, bringing the match to 120 minutes. If still level, a penalty shootout decides the winner. Budget around 150 minutes total for any knockout game that goes the distance.
