FIFA World Cup 2026: Dates, full schedule, format, groups, fixtures and India match timings
The expanded format means more teams, more matches and a longer knockout phase, making 2026 the biggest World Cup ever held.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Format Announced
A total of 48 countries were divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Each team will play three group stage matches and the top two teams from each group will automatically advance to the knockout rounds.
In addition, the eight best third-place teams will also advance to the knockout stage, bringing the number of teams to 32.
The introduction of the Round 32 means that teams qualifying for the final will now have to play eight matches instead of seven.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule
| Scene | Dates |
| Group Stage | 11-27 June |
| round 32 | June 28-July 3 |
| Round 16 | 4-7 July |
| Quarterfinals | 9-11 July |
| semi-finals | 14-15 July |
| Third Place Play-off | 18 July |
| Final | 19 July |
FIFA Opening Match
The tournament will kick off on June 11 with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
FIFA Final Venue
The World Cup final is scheduled to be held on July 19 at the New Jersey Stadium in New York (MetLife Stadium), where the champions of the world’s largest football tournament will be crowned.
India Match Timings (IST)
Indian football fans need to be prepared for some late nights as most of the matches will be played at night and early in the morning due to the time difference between India and the host countries.
Most games are expected to launch in one of the following time periods:
- 12:30 IST
- 03:30 IST
- 06:30 IST
- 07:30 IST (selected matches)
The opening fixture between Mexico and South Africa is expected to start around 12:30 IST on June 12.
Key Group Stage Dates
Match Day 1: 11-17 June
Match Day 2: 18-23 June
Match Day 3: 24-27 June
Featured matches in the group stage include England-Croatia, Brazil-Morocco, France-Norway and Spain-Uruguay, all of which are expected to attract significant interest from around the world.
Did India Qualify?
India will not be able to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup because it did not qualify. But Indian fans have a lot to follow, including players of Indian origin who could play for their national team.
With a record 48 teams, 104 matches and three host nations, the FIFA 2026 World Cup promises to deliver the most comprehensive and ambitious version of the tournament yet.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage fixtures
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mexico v South Africa – Group A – Mexico City Stadium
Republic of Korea – Czech Republic – Group A – Estadio Guadalajara
Friday, June 12, 2026
Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina – Group B – Toronto Stadium
USA v Paraguay – Group D – Los Angeles Stadium
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Haiti v Scotland – Group C – Boston Stadium
Australia v Türkiye – Group D – BC Place Vancouver
Brazil – Morocco – Group C – New York New Jersey Stadium
Qatar – Switzerland – Group B – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Ivory Coast – Ecuador – Group E – Philadelphia Stadium
Germany – Curaçao – Group E – Houston Stadium
Netherlands – Japan – Group F – Dallas Stadium
Sweden v Tunisia – Group F – Estadio Monterrey
Monday, June 15, 2026
Saudi Arabia – Uruguay – Group H – Miami Stadium
Spain v Cabo Verde – Group H – Atlanta Stadium
IR Iran – New Zealand – Group G – Los Angeles Stadium
Belgium v Egypt – Group G – Seattle Stadium
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
France – Senegal – Group I – New York New Jersey Stadium
Iraq – Norway – Group I – Boston Stadium
Argentina – Algeria – Group J – Kansas City Stadium
Austria – Jordan – Group J – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Ghana – Panama – Group L – Toronto Stadium
England v Croatia – Group L – Dallas Stadium
Portugal – Democratic Republic of the Congo – Group K – Houston Stadium
Uzbekistan – Colombia – Group K – Mexico City Stadium
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Czechia – South Africa – Group A – Atlanta Stadium
Switzerland – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Group B – Los Angeles Stadium
Canada v Qatar – Group B – BC Place Vancouver
Mexico v Republic of Korea – Group A – Estadio Guadalajara
Friday, June 19, 2026
Brazil – Haiti – Group C – Philadelphia Stadium
Scotland – Morocco – Group C – Boston Stadium
Türkiye v Paraguay – Group D – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
USA v Australia – Group D – Seattle Stadium
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Germany – Ivory Coast – Group E – Toronto Stadium
Ecuador – Curaçao – Group E – Kansas City Stadium
Netherlands – Sweden – Group F – Houston Stadium
Tunisia v Japan – Group F – Estadio Monterrey
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Uruguay v Cabo Verde – Group H – Miami Stadium
Spain – Saudi Arabia – Group H – Atlanta Stadium
Belgium v IR Iran – Group G – Los Angeles Stadium
New Zealand v Egypt – Group G – BC Place Vancouver
Monday, June 22, 2026
Norway – Senegal – Group I – New York New Jersey Stadium
France v Iraq – Group I – Philadelphia Stadium
Argentina v Austria – Group J – Dallas Stadium
Jordan – Algeria – Group J – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
England v Ghana – Group L – Boston Stadium
Panama v Croatia – Group L – Toronto Stadium
Portugal v Uzbekistan – Group K – Houston Stadium
Colombia v Congo DR – Group K – Estadio Guadalajara
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Scotland v Brazil – Group C – Miami Stadium
Morocco – Haiti – Group C – Atlanta Stadium
Switzerland v Canada – Group B – BC Place Vancouver
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Qatar – Group B – Seattle Stadium
Czechia v Mexico – Group A – Mexico City Stadium
South Africa v Republic of Korea – Group A – Estadio Monterrey
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Curaçao – Ivory Coast – Group E – Philadelphia Stadium
Ecuador – Germany – Group E – New York New Jersey Stadium
Japan v Sweden – Group F – Dallas Stadium
Tunisia v Netherlands – Group F – Kansas City Stadium
Türkiye v USA – Group D – Los Angeles Stadium
Paraguay – Australia – Group D – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Friday, June 26, 2026
Norway – France – Group I – Boston Stadium
Senegal – Iraq – Group I – Toronto Stadium
Egypt – IR Iran – Group G – Seattle Stadium
New Zealand v Belgium – Group G – BC Place Vancouver
Cabo Verde – Saudi Arabia – Group H – Houston Stadium
Uruguay v Spain – Group H – Estadio Guadalajara
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Panama v England – Group L – New York New Jersey Stadium
Croatia – Ghana – Group L – Philadelphia Stadium
Algeria v Austria – Group J – Kansas City Stadium
Jordan – Argentina – Group J – Dallas Stadium
Colombia v Portugal – Group K – Miami Stadium
Democratic Republic of the Congo – Uzbekistan – Group K – Atlanta Stadium
FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32 fixtures
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Match 73 – Group A runners-up vs. Group B runners-up – Los Angeles Stadium
Monday, June 29, 2026
Match 74 – Group E winners – Group A/B/C/D/F third place – Boston Stadium
Match 75 – Group F winner – Group C runner-up – Estadio Monterrey
Match 76 – Group C winner – Group F runner-up – Houston Stadium
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Match 77 – Group I winners – Third in Group C/D/F/G/H – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 78 – Group E runners-up vs. Group I runners-up – Dallas Stadium
Match 79 – Group A winner – Group C/E/F/H/I third place – Mexico City Stadium
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Match 80 – Winner of Group L – Third in Group E/H/I/J/K – Atlanta Stadium
Match 81 – Group D winners – B/E/F/I/J third place – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Match 82 – Group G winners – Group A/E/H/I/I/J third place – Seattle Stadium
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Match 83 – Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up – Toronto Stadium
Match 84 – Group H winners vs. Group J runners-up – Los Angeles Stadium
Match 85 – Group B winners – Group E/F/G/I/J third place – BC Place Vancouver
Friday, July 3, 2026
Match 86 – Group J winner – Group H runner-up – Miami Stadium
Match 87 – Group K winners – Group D/E/I/J/L third place – Kansas City Stadium
Match 88 – Group D runners-up vs. Group G runners-up – Dallas Stadium
2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 fixtures
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Match 89 – Winner match 74 vs Winner match 77 – Philadelphia Stadium
Match 90 – Winner match 73 vs Winner match 75 – Houston Stadium
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Match 91 – Winning match 76 vs Winning match 78 – New York New Jersey Stadium
Match 92 – Winning match 79 vs Winning match 80 – Mexico City Stadium
Monday, July 6, 2026
Game 93 – Winning match 83 vs Winning match 84 – Dallas Stadium
Match 94 – Won match 81 vs Won match 82 – Seattle Stadium
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Match 95 – Winning match 86 vs Winning match 88 – Atlanta Stadium
Match 96 – Winner match 85 vs Winner match 87 – BC Place Vancouver
2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final fixtures
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Match 97 – Winning match 89 vs Winning match 90 – Boston Stadium
Friday, July 10, 2026
Match 98 – Winning match 93 vs Winning match 94 – Los Angeles Stadium
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Match 99 – Winning match 91 vs Winning match 92 – Miami Stadium
Match 100 – Winning match 95 vs Winning match 96 – Kansas City Stadium
2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final fixtures
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Match 101 – Winning match 97 vs Winning match 98 – Dallas Stadium
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Match 102 – Winning match 99 vs Winning match 100 – Atlanta Stadium
2026 FIFA World Cup bronze final
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Game 103 – Second game 101 – Second game 102 – Miami Stadium
FIFA World Cup 2026 Final
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Match 104 – Winning match 101 vs Winning match 102 – New York New Jersey Stadium
