The biggest sporting event on the planet kicks off this summer across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The FIFA World Cup 2026 features 48 teams, 16 stadiums and 104 matches over 39 days. Fans everywhere want to know exactly when each match starts so they can plan around work, school or sleep.
This complete kickoff time guide covers every single match from the opening game on June 11 to the final on July 19. All times are listed in Eastern Time (ET), with a global time zone converter so you can figure out kickoff in your time zone.
What Time is the World Cup Today?
When Does the World Cup 2026 Start and End?
Mexico vs South Africa opens the tournament on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca). The opening ceremony takes place at the same venue right before the match. South Korea vs Czechia follows later that night at 10:00 PM ET in Guadalajara.
Canada and USA kick off their campaigns the next day. Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium at 3:00 PM ET. USA plays Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium at 9:00 PM ET. Australia vs Türkiye rounds out opening weekend with a late kickoff at 12:00 AM ET in Vancouver.
The World Cup Final takes place on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The third-place match is on July 18 at Miami Stadium at 5:00 PM ET. Argentina enter as defending champions after winning their third title in Qatar 2022.
World Cup 2026 Daily Kickoff Time Slots
The group stage runs four matches every single day. Stadiums sit across four North American time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific. That means kickoff times vary depending on which city hosts the game.
The four standard group stage time slots in Eastern Time are 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Some matchdays feature slightly different times like 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM depending on the host city. A few late matches in Pacific and Central time zones kick off at 12:00 AM ET (midnight), so night owls get their football too.
The knockout rounds shift to fewer matches per day. The Round of 32 features two to three matches per day. The Round of 16 has two per day. Quarterfinals, semifinals and the final each have one or two matches.
World Cup 2026 Start Times by Time Zone
Football fans around the world need to convert ET kickoff times to local time. This table shows how the four main group stage time slots translate across nine major time zones.
| Time Slot (ET) | UK (BST) | Central Europe (CEST) | Nigeria (WAT) | Middle East (AST) | India (IST) | Japan/Korea (JST/KST) | Australia (AEST) | Brazil (BRT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 9:30 PM | 1:00 AM+1 | 2:00 AM+1 | 1:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 12:30 AM+1 | 4:00 AM+1 | 5:00 AM+1 | 4:00 PM |
| 6:00 PM | 11:00 PM | 12:00 AM+1 | 11:00 PM | 1:00 AM+1 | 3:30 AM+1 | 7:00 AM+1 | 8:00 AM+1 | 7:00 PM |
| 9:00 PM | 2:00 AM+1 | 3:00 AM+1 | 2:00 AM+1 | 4:00 AM+1 | 6:30 AM+1 | 10:00 AM+1 | 11:00 AM+1 | 10:00 PM |
+1 means the next day. All conversions are based on summer/daylight saving time in effect during the tournament.
UK and European fans get the best deal. Most matches fall between 5:00 PM and 3:00 AM. Indian fans face some late nights with early morning kickoffs. Australian and Japanese fans need to set alarms for predawn starts on the early matches. Brazilian fans enjoy almost perfect viewing times with all four slots landing between 1:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
Group Stage Kickoff Times: All 72 Matches (June 11–27)
Thursday, June 11 (Opening Day)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | Mexico vs South Africa | A | Mexico City Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | South Korea vs Czechia | A | Guadalajara Stadium |
Friday, June 12
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | Toronto Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | USA vs Paraguay | D | Los Angeles Stadium |
Saturday, June 13
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | Australia vs Türkiye | D | BC Place, Vancouver |
| 3:00 PM | Qatar vs Switzerland | B | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Brazil vs Morocco | C | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | Haiti vs Scotland | C | Boston Stadium |
Sunday, June 14
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Germany vs Curaçao | E | Houston Stadium |
| 4:00 PM | Netherlands vs Japan | F | Dallas Stadium |
| 7:00 PM | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | E | Philadelphia Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Tunisia vs Sweden | F | Monterrey Stadium |
Monday, June 15
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Spain vs Cabo Verde | H | Atlanta Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | Belgium vs Egypt | G | Seattle Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | H | Miami Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | Iran vs New Zealand | G | Los Angeles Stadium |
Tuesday, June 16
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | Austria vs Jordan | J | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | France vs Senegal | I | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Norway vs Iraq | I | Boston Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | Argentina vs Algeria | J | Kansas City Stadium |
Wednesday, June 17
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Portugal vs DR Congo | K | Houston Stadium |
| 4:00 PM | England vs Croatia | L | Dallas Stadium |
| 7:00 PM | Ghana vs Panama | L | Toronto Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | K | Mexico City Stadium |
Thursday, June 18 (Matchday 2 Begins)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | South Africa vs Czechia | A | Atlanta Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | Los Angeles Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Canada vs Qatar | B | BC Place, Vancouver |
| 9:00 PM | Mexico vs South Korea | A | Guadalajara Stadium |
Friday, June 19
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | Paraguay vs Türkiye | D | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | USA vs Australia | D | Seattle Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | Scotland vs Morocco | C | Boston Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | Brazil vs Haiti | C | Philadelphia Stadium |
Saturday, June 20
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | Tunisia vs Japan | F | Monterrey Stadium |
| 1:00 PM | Netherlands vs Sweden | F | Houston Stadium |
| 4:00 PM | Germany vs Ivory Coast | E | Toronto Stadium |
| 8:00 PM | Ecuador vs Curaçao | E | Kansas City Stadium |
Sunday, June 21
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | H | Atlanta Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | Belgium vs Iran | G | Los Angeles Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Uruguay vs Cabo Verde | H | Miami Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | New Zealand vs Egypt | G | BC Place, Vancouver |
Monday, June 22
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Argentina vs Austria | J | Dallas Stadium |
| 5:00 PM | France vs Iraq | I | Philadelphia Stadium |
| 8:00 PM | Norway vs Senegal | I | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 11:00 PM | Jordan vs Algeria | J | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
Tuesday, June 23
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:00 PM | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | K | Houston Stadium |
| 4:00 PM | England vs Ghana | L | Boston Stadium |
| 7:00 PM | Panama vs Croatia | L | Toronto Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Colombia vs DR Congo | K | Guadalajara Stadium |
Wednesday, June 24 (Final Matchday — Groups A, B, C)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | Canada vs Switzerland | B | BC Place, Vancouver |
| 3:00 PM | Qatar vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | Seattle Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Scotland vs Brazil | C | Miami Stadium |
| 6:00 PM | Morocco vs Haiti | C | Atlanta Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | Mexico vs Czechia | A | Mexico City Stadium |
| 9:00 PM | South Korea vs South Africa | A | Monterrey Stadium |
Simultaneous kickoffs start on final matchdays to keep things fair. Both Group A matches kick off at 9:00 PM ET. Both Group B matches start at 3:00 PM ET. Both Group C matches begin at 6:00 PM ET.
Thursday, June 25 (Final Matchday — Groups D, E, F)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00 PM | Ecuador vs Germany | E | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 4:00 PM | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | E | Philadelphia Stadium |
| 7:00 PM | Tunisia vs Netherlands | F | Kansas City Stadium |
| 7:00 PM | Japan vs Sweden | F | Dallas Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | USA vs Türkiye | D | Los Angeles Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Paraguay vs Australia | D | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
Friday, June 26 (Final Matchday — Groups G, H, I)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 PM | Norway vs France | I | Boston Stadium |
| 3:00 PM | Senegal vs Iraq | I | Toronto Stadium |
| 8:00 PM | Uruguay vs Spain | H | Guadalajara Stadium |
| 8:00 PM | Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia | H | Houston Stadium |
| 11:00 PM | New Zealand vs Belgium | G | BC Place, Vancouver |
| 11:00 PM | Egypt vs Iran | G | Seattle Stadium |
Saturday, June 27 (Final Matchday — Groups J, K, L)
| Kickoff (ET) | Match | Group | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | Panama vs England | L | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| 5:00 PM | Croatia vs Ghana | L | Philadelphia Stadium |
| 7:30 PM | Colombia vs Portugal | K | Miami Stadium |
| 7:30 PM | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | K | Atlanta Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Jordan vs Argentina | J | Dallas Stadium |
| 10:00 PM | Algeria vs Austria | J | Kansas City Stadium |
Round of 32 Kickoff Times (June 28–July 3)
The new Round of 32 is a first for any World Cup. Sixteen knockout matches determine which teams move on. The top two from each group advance automatically. The eight best third-place finishers also go through, making group stage exits harder than ever.
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, June 28 | 3:00 PM | 2nd Group A vs 2nd Group B | Los Angeles Stadium |
| Mon, June 29 | 1:00 PM | 1st Group C vs 2nd Group F | Houston Stadium |
| Mon, June 29 | 4:30 PM | 1st Group E vs 3rd Place | Boston Stadium |
| Mon, June 29 | 9:00 PM | 1st Group F vs 2nd Group C | Monterrey Stadium |
| Tue, June 30 | 1:00 PM | 2nd Group E vs 2nd Group I | Dallas Stadium |
| Tue, June 30 | 5:00 PM | 1st Group I vs 3rd Place | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| Tue, June 30 | 9:00 PM | 1st Group A vs 3rd Place | Mexico City Stadium |
| Wed, July 1 | 12:00 PM | 1st Group L vs 3rd Place | Atlanta Stadium |
| Wed, July 1 | 4:00 PM | 1st Group G vs 3rd Place | Seattle Stadium |
| Wed, July 1 | 8:00 PM | 1st Group D vs 3rd Place | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
| Thu, July 2 | 3:00 PM | 1st Group H vs 2nd Group J | Los Angeles Stadium |
| Thu, July 2 | 7:00 PM | 2nd Group K vs 2nd Group L | Toronto Stadium |
| Thu, July 2 | 11:00 PM | 1st Group B vs 3rd Place | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Fri, July 3 | 2:00 PM | 2nd Group D vs 2nd Group G | Dallas Stadium |
| Fri, July 3 | 6:00 PM | 1st Group J vs 2nd Group H | Miami Stadium |
| Fri, July 3 | 9:30 PM | 1st Group K vs 3rd Place | Kansas City Stadium |
Round of 16 Kickoff Times (July 4–7)
Eight matches. Single elimination. Lose and you go home.
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, July 4 | 1:00 PM | Houston Stadium |
| Sat, July 4 | 5:00 PM | Philadelphia Stadium |
| Sun, July 5 | 4:00 PM | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| Sun, July 5 | 8:00 PM | Mexico City Stadium |
| Mon, July 6 | 3:00 PM | Dallas Stadium |
| Mon, July 6 | 8:00 PM | Seattle Stadium |
| Tue, July 7 | 12:00 PM | Atlanta Stadium |
| Tue, July 7 | 4:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
Quarterfinal Kickoff Times (July 9–11)
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, July 9 | 4:00 PM | Boston Stadium |
| Fri, July 10 | 3:00 PM | Los Angeles Stadium |
| Sat, July 11 | 5:00 PM | Miami Stadium |
| Sat, July 11 | 9:00 PM | Kansas City Stadium |
Semifinal Kickoff Times (July 14–15)
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, July 14 | 3:00 PM | Dallas Stadium |
| Wed, July 15 | 3:00 PM | Atlanta Stadium |
World Cup 2026 Final and Third-Place Match
The third-place match kicks off on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The World Cup Final kicks off on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The stadium holds 82,500 fans and sits just outside New York City.
FIFA confirmed the first official World Cup halftime show will take place during the final. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin curates the show alongside manager Phil Harvey in partnership with Global Citizen. Multiple artists will perform. FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed the lineup will feature more than one act. Coldplay will not perform themselves.
How to Watch the World Cup 2026
Every match gets a live broadcast. Here are the confirmed TV channels and streaming options in major markets.
- United States: FOX carries 70 matches and FS1 carries 34 matches. All 104 games air in English across those two channels. Telemundo and Universo handle Spanish coverage. Every match streams on Peacock (Spanish), FOX Sports App and FOX One. All matches are available in 4K.
- United Kingdom: BBC and ITV share exclusive free-to-air rights. Stream free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. No subscription needed.
- Canada: Bell Media holds the rights. Watch on CTV, TSN and RDS for French coverage.
- Australia: SBS provides free-to-air coverage. No pay wall.
- Africa: SuperSport broadcasts all 104 matches live across 50 countries via DStv and GOtv. South Africa also gets free-to-air coverage on SABC. Coverage available in seven languages including English and Portuguese.
- India: No broadcaster confirmed yet as of April 2026. Check FIFA’s official site for updates before June 11.
- Middle East: beIN Sports holds the rights across the region.
Also Check: 2026 FIFA World Cup Latest Updates
World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times FAQ
What time is the first World Cup 2026 match?
Mexico vs South Africa opens the tournament on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET. The match takes place at Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca) which holds 87,500 fans. Local kickoff time in Mexico City is 1:00 PM CST.
What time zone is the World Cup 2026 in?
The tournament spans four North American time zones: Eastern (ET), Central (CT), Mountain (MT) and Pacific (PT). Stadiums range from New York and Miami on the East Coast to Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver on the West Coast. Most official listings use Eastern Time.
How many matches are in the World Cup 2026?
104 total. That breaks down to 72 group-stage matches, 16 Round of 32 matches, 8 Round of 16 matches, 4 quarterfinals, 2 semifinals, 1 third-place match, and 1 final.
What time is the World Cup 2026 Final?
The final kicks off at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What channel is the World Cup 2026 on in the USA?
FOX and FS1 broadcast all 104 matches in English. Telemundo and Universo carry Spanish coverage. Stream every match live on the FOX Sports App, FOX One and Peacock.
How many teams are in the World Cup 2026?
48 teams compete in 12 groups of four. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-place finishers advance to the Round of 32. That means 32 out of 48 teams make it past the group stage.
What is the new World Cup format for 2026?
The tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the first time. A new Round of 32 stage sits between the group stage and the Round of 16. Teams that finish first or second in their group advance automatically. The eight best third-place finishers also qualify. This format adds 16 extra knockout matches compared to previous World Cups.
Who are the defending World Cup champions?
Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, beating France on penalties in one of the greatest finals ever played. Lionel Messi lifted the trophy at Lusail Stadium. Argentina enter the 2026 tournament in Group J alongside Algeria, Austria and Jordan.
All kickoff times listed in Eastern Time (ET) unless stated otherwise. Times are subject to change by FIFA. Last updated: April 2026.