The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 1:00 AM BST on Friday, June 12 and runs through to the Final at 1:00 AM BST on Monday, July 20. That is 39 days, 104 matches, 48 teams, and 16 stadiums across the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
This is the complete 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule converted to Bangladesh Standard Time (BST). Because BST is UTC+6 and the tournament runs from North America, most matches kick off in the late evening or early morning hours in Bangladesh.
Roughly 8 group stage games start at 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM BST (the early ET slots), while most fall between 1:00 AM and 11:00 AM BST. Plan ahead: this is a tournament for late nighters and early risers.
Key Kickoff Times at a Glance:
Event
Date (BST)
Day
Time (BST)
Venue
Opening Match: Mexico vs South Africa
Jun 12
Fri
1:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Brazil vs Morocco
Jun 14
Sun
4:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
France vs Senegal
Jun 17
Wed
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
Argentina vs Algeria
Jun 18
Thu
7:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
England vs Croatia
Jun 18
Thu
2:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
World Cup Final
Jul 20
Mon
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
What is Bangladesh Standard Time (BST)?
Bangladesh Standard Time (BST) is UTC+6. Bangladesh sits six hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time and has not observed daylight saving time since 2009. The clock stays fixed at UTC+6 year-round, so no adjustments are needed during the tournament. BST also stands for British Summer Time (UTC+1), but the two are clearly different contexts.
Major cities in this timezone include Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet. The closest neighbouring time zone is India Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30), which is 30 minutes behind BST. So if you know when a match is on in India, add 30 minutes to get the BST kickoff time. The IANA timezone identifier is Asia/Dhaka. For the full picture of how World Cup times work across timezones, see the World Cup 2026 time guide.
During June and July 2026, the USA is on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4). That puts BST exactly 10 hours ahead of the tournament’s primary broadcast time (ET). Matches at the two earliest ET slots (12 PM and 1 PM ET) convert to 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM BST the same evening. All later ET slots cross midnight and land on the following BST calendar day.
World Cup 2026 Daily Match Times in BST
All five ET kickoff windows convert to early-morning slots in Bangladesh. Here is what to expect across the group stage:
ET Window
BST Time
Best For
12:00 PM ET
10:00 PM BST (same night)
Evening viewing before bed
1:00 PM ET
11:00 PM BST (same night)
Late evening
3:00 PM ET
1:00 AM BST (next day)
Night owls, alarm setters
4:00 PM ET
2:00 AM BST (next day)
Night owls
5:00 PM ET
3:00 AM BST (next day)
Very early risers
6:00 PM ET
4:00 AM BST (next day)
Pre-Fajr viewing
7:00 PM ET
5:00 AM BST (next day)
Dawn kick-off
8:00 PM ET
6:00 AM BST (next day)
Early morning
9:00 PM ET
7:00 AM BST (next day)
Morning viewing
10:00 PM ET
8:00 AM BST (next day)
Breakfast time
11:00 PM ET
9:00 AM BST (next day)
Late morning
Knockout round matches follow the same windows. The Final kicks off in Bangladesh at 1:00 AM Bangladesh Standard Time (BST, UTC+6) on Monday, July 20. Check our World Cup 2026 Final page for full details on the venue and kickoff.
Best Matches at Manageable BST Times:
Match
Date (BST)
Day
Time (BST)
Venue
Mexico vs South Africa
Jun 12
Fri
1:00 AM
Estadio Azteca
Brazil vs Morocco
Jun 14
Sun
4:00 AM
MetLife Stadium
France vs Senegal
Jun 17
Wed
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium
England vs Croatia
Jun 18
Thu
2:00 AM
AT&T Stadium
Argentina vs Algeria
Jun 18
Thu
7:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium
Tunisia vs Japan (1,000th WC match)
Jun 21
Sun
10:00 AM
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
Semifinal 1
Jul 15
Wed
1:00 AM
AT&T Stadium
World Cup Final
Jul 20
Mon
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium
World Cup 2026 Group Stage Schedule in BST
The group stage runs from June 12 to June 28 BST, covering 72 matches across 12 groups (A through L). The top two teams from each group advance, plus the eight best third-placed teams, making 32 teams total entering the knockout rounds. On the final matchday of each group, both matches kick off simultaneously to keep things fair.
Friday, June 12 BST (Opening Day)
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. For opening ceremony details, see our dedicated page.
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
1
A
Mexico vs South Africa
1:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
2
A
South Korea vs Czechia
8:00 AM
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Saturday, June 13 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
3
B
Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
1:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
4
D
USA vs Paraguay
7:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Sunday, June 14 BST
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.
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
8
B
Qatar vs Switzerland
1:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
7
C
Brazil vs Morocco
4:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
5
C
Haiti vs Scotland
7:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
Sunday, June 14 BST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
6
D
Australia vs Türkiye
10:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
Monday, June 15 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
10
E
Germany vs Curaçao
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
14
H
Spain vs Cape Verde
10:00 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Tuesday, June 16 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
11
F
Netherlands vs Japan
2:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
16
G
Belgium vs Egypt
1:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
9
E
Ivory Coast vs Ecuador
5:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
13
H
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
4:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
12
F
Sweden vs Tunisia
8:00 AM
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
15
G
Iran vs New Zealand
7:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
Wednesday, June 17 BST
Argentina, the defending champions, open their tournament. Match 18 features Iraq’s first World Cup appearance since 1986, ending a 40-year absence.
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.
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
20
J
Austria vs Jordan
10:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
17
I
France vs Senegal
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
23
K
Portugal vs DR Congo
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
Thursday, June 18 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
22
L
England vs Croatia
2:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
18
I
Iraq vs Norway
4:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
21
L
Ghana vs Panama
5:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
19
J
Argentina vs Algeria
7:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
24
K
Uzbekistan vs Colombia
8:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Thursday, June 18 BST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
25
A
Czechia vs South Africa
10:00 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Friday, June 19 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
26
B
Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina
1:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
27
B
Canada vs Qatar
4:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
28
A
Mexico vs South Korea
7:00 AM
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Saturday, June 20 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
32
D
USA vs Australia
1:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
30
C
Scotland vs Morocco
4:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
29
C
Brazil vs Haiti
6:30 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
31
D
Türkiye vs Paraguay
9:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
35
F
Netherlands vs Sweden
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
Sunday, June 21 BST (1,000th Match in WC History)
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.
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
36
F
Tunisia vs Japan
10:00 AM
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
33
E
Germany vs Ivory Coast
2:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
34
E
Ecuador vs Curaçao
6:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Sunday, June 21 BST (continued)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
38
H
Spain vs Saudi Arabia
10:00 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Monday, June 22 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
39
G
Belgium vs Iran
1:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
37
H
Uruguay vs Cape Verde
4:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
40
G
New Zealand vs Egypt
7:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
43
J
Argentina vs Austria
11:00 PM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Tuesday, June 23 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
42
I
France vs Iraq
3:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
41
I
Norway vs Senegal
6:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
44
J
Jordan vs Algeria
9:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
47
K
Portugal vs Uzbekistan
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
Wednesday, June 24 BST
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
45
L
England vs Ghana
2:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
46
L
Panama vs Croatia
5:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
48
K
Colombia vs DR Congo
8:00 AM
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Thursday, June 25 BST (Final Group Matchday – Groups A, B & C)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
51
B
Switzerland vs Canada
1:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
52
B
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar
1:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
49
C
Scotland vs Brazil
4:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
50
C
Morocco vs Haiti
4:00 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
53
A
Czechia vs Mexico
7:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
54
A
South Africa vs South Korea
7:00 AM
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
Friday, June 26 BST (Final Group Matchday – Groups D, E & F)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
55
E
Curaçao vs Ivory Coast
2:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
56
E
Ecuador vs Germany
2:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
57
F
Japan vs Sweden
5:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
58
F
Tunisia vs Netherlands
5:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
59
D
Türkiye vs USA
8:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
60
D
Paraguay vs Australia
8:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Saturday, June 27 BST (Final Group Matchday – Groups G, H & I)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
61
I
Norway vs France
1:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
62
I
Senegal vs Iraq
1:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
65
H
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
6:00 AM
NRG Stadium, Houston
66
H
Uruguay vs Spain
6:00 AM
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
63
G
Egypt vs Iran
9:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
64
G
New Zealand vs Belgium
9:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
Sunday, June 28 BST (Final Group Matchday – Groups J, K & L)
#
Group
Match
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
67
L
Panama vs England
3:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
68
L
Croatia vs Ghana
3:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
71
K
Colombia vs Portugal
5:30 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
72
K
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan
5:30 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
69
J
Algeria vs Austria
8:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
70
J
Jordan vs Argentina
8:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Schedule (BST)
This stage is brand new. It has never existed at any previous World Cup. One defeat and your tournament is over.
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
73
Jun 29
Mon
Runner-up A vs Runner-up B
1:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
76
Jun 29
Mon
Winner C vs Runner-up F
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
74
Jun 30
Tue
Winner E vs Best 3rd (A/B/C/D/F)
2:30 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
75
Jun 30
Tue
Winner F vs Runner-up C
7:00 AM
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
78
Jun 30
Tue
Runner-up E vs Runner-up I
11:00 PM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
77
Jul 1
Wed
Winner I vs Best 3rd (C/D/F/G/H)
3:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
79
Jul 1
Wed
Winner A vs Best 3rd (C/E/F/H/I)
7:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
80
Jul 1
Wed
Winner L vs Best 3rd (E/H/I/J/K)
10:00 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
84
Jul 2
Thu
Winner H vs Runner-up J
1:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
82
Jul 2
Thu
Winner G vs Best 3rd (A/E/H/I/J)
2:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
81
Jul 2
Thu
Winner D vs Best 3rd (B/E/F/I/J)
6:00 AM
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
83
Jul 3
Fri
Runner-up K vs Runner-up L
5:00 AM
BMO Field, Toronto
88
Jul 4
Sat
Runner-up D vs Runner-up G
12:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
85
Jul 3
Fri
Winner B vs Best 3rd (E/F/G/I/J)
9:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
86
Jul 4
Sat
Winner J vs Runner-up H
4:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
87
Jul 4
Sat
Winner K vs Best 3rd (D/E/I/J/L)
7:30 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
World Cup 2026 Round of 16 Schedule (BST)
Eight matches. Win or go home. The Round of 16 runs from July 5 to July 8 BST.
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
90
Jul 5
Sun
Winner M73 vs Winner M75
11:00 PM
NRG Stadium, Houston
89
Jul 5
Sun
Winner M74 vs Winner M77
3:00 AM
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
91
Jul 6
Mon
Winner M76 vs Winner M78
2:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
92
Jul 6
Mon
Winner M79 vs Winner M80
6:00 AM
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
93
Jul 7
Tue
Winner M83 vs Winner M84
1:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
94
Jul 7
Tue
Winner M81 vs Winner M82
6:00 AM
Lumen Field, Seattle
95
Jul 8
Wed
Winner M86 vs Winner M88
10:00 PM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
96
Jul 8
Wed
Winner M85 vs Winner M87
2:00 AM
BC Place, Vancouver
World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Final (BST)
Quarterfinals
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
97
Jul 10
Fri
Winner M89 vs Winner M90
2:00 AM
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough
98
Jul 11
Sat
Winner M93 vs Winner M94
1:00 AM
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
99
Jul 12
Sun
Winner M91 vs Winner M92
3:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
100
Jul 12
Sun
Winner M95 vs Winner M96
7:00 AM
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Semifinals
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
101
Jul 15
Wed
Winner M97 vs Winner M98
1:00 AM
AT&T Stadium, Arlington
102
Jul 16
Thu
Winner M99 vs Winner M100
1:00 AM
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Third-Place Match
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
103
Jul 19
Sun
Loser M101 vs Loser M102
3:00 AM
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
World Cup Final
#
Date (BST)
Day
Matchup
Kickoff (BST)
Venue
Capacity
104
Jul 20
Mon
Winner M101 vs Winner M102
1:00 AM
MetLife Stadium, NJ
82,500
The Final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a capacity of 82,500. It is the first-ever World Cup Final to feature a live halftime show, produced by Global Citizen with Coldplay curating the entertainment. For more on the spectacle, check our World Cup 2026 halftime show guide. Full Final details are on our World Cup 2026 Final page.
How to Watch the World Cup 2026 in Bangladesh
Official broadcasting details for Bangladesh 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+ will stream selected matches free of charge globally via the FIFA+ app and website. It is worth downloading now as a backup option.
What Bangladesh Football Fans Need to Know
How many matches can fans watch before midnight in BST?
Just one kickoff window falls before midnight in Bangladesh: the 12:00 PM ET slot converts to 10:00 PM BST. Only a handful of matches use that window. Every other kickoff falls between 11:00 PM BST and 9:00 AM BST the following morning.
Can Bangladesh fans attend the World Cup in person?
Yes. Tickets are available via the official FIFA ticketing portal at fifa.com. Bangladesh passport holders travelling to the USA will need a valid US visa. For Canada, check whether you need an eTA or a visitor visa depending on your travel document.
What is the best way to follow matches if I cannot watch live?
FIFA+ offers official highlights and match replays. The FIFA app and YouTube channel also post condensed match videos shortly after the final whistle. Set up notifications so you do not accidentally see the score first.
How many teams are making their World Cup debut in 2026?
Four teams debut at this tournament: Cape Verde (Group H), Curaçao (Group E), Jordan (Group J), and Uzbekistan (Group K). All four qualified for the first time ever.
What happens if a knockout match is still tied after 90 minutes?
The match goes to 30 minutes of extra time. If still level, it goes to a penalty shootout. Budget around 150 minutes total for a match that reaches penalties. Plan your morning accordingly if you are watching a 1:00 AM BST kickoff.
Is there a time difference between the World Cup venues?
Yes. The 16 stadiums span four North American time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific. All times on this page are already converted to BST, so you do not need to worry about venue differences. Every kickoff time shown is your local Bangladesh time.
Does Bangladesh observe DST during the World Cup?
No. Bangladesh Time (BST) is fixed at UTC+6 year-round. There is no clock change during the tournament, so all times in this schedule remain accurate from the first match to the Final.
