Schedule Center

World Cup 2026 schedule: dates, fixtures and knockout path

The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City and ends with the Final on July 19, 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium. Use this schedule hub to move from key dates into group fixtures, knockout rounds, host cities, tickets, hotels, and legal viewing checks.

Last updated: June 4, 2026. Recheck official sources before making ticket, travel, or matchday plans.

Quick answer

World Cup 2026 schedule at a glance

FIFA lists a 104-match tournament from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The opening match is Mexico vs South Africa in Mexico City, the group stage runs through June, the Round of 32 opens the knockout path, and the Final is scheduled for New York New Jersey Stadium.

  • Start: June 11, 2026, Mexico City.
  • Format: 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches.
  • Knockouts: Round of 32 through the Final in July.
  • Before booking: recheck FIFA schedule, ticketing, venue and host-city guidance.
Verified

Verified schedule foundation

This page uses official FIFA sources for key dates and tournament structure. It focuses on verified tournament anchors first, then expands match-level detail only when official source data supports teams, venues, and kickoff information.

  • 48 teams and 104 fixtures are part of the official tournament structure.
  • FIFA now lists Mexico vs South Africa, Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, and USA vs Paraguay as official opening fixtures.
  • The Final is confirmed for New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 at 15:00 EDT.
  • Bracket-based knockout cards stay partial until the participants are known.

Planning Table

Use the schedule stage to choose the next planning step

Stage Date window City focus Next reader action
Opening match June 11, 2026 Mexico City Check the official fixture, then compare Mexico City hotel and travel options.
Group stage June 2026 Multiple host cities Use the day-by-day schedule, teams tracker, host city guides, and legal viewing guide before making matchday plans.
Knockout rounds July 2026 Multiple host cities Keep hotels flexible until bracket paths and team-specific fixtures are official.
Bronze final July 18, 2026 Miami Plan late-stage travel, hotels, and legal viewing around official fixture updates.
Final July 19, 2026 New York New Jersey Use the final location guide and New York New Jersey city page before booking.

Page Boundary

Choose the right schedule page

This page is the schedule hub. Use the more specific pages when the question is about one date, one phase, one advancement path, or one ticket decision.

Reader question Best page Why
What are the main World Cup 2026 dates? This schedule hub It summarizes the tournament window, opening match, group stage, knockouts, bronze final and final.
When does the tournament start? Start date guide It focuses on June 11, opening match context and early planning.
Which teams play on each group-stage date? Group-stage schedule by date It is better for day-by-day fixture browsing.
What does a team need to advance? Group-stage scenarios It explains top-two, third-place and advancement logic.
How does the knockout bracket work? Round of 32 schedule It handles knockout-specific bracket and travel questions.

Choose Your Next Schedule Step

Use the schedule to choose the right planning page

Schedule readers usually need one of five next steps: the full match list, a specific date, a host city, a ticket decision, or a knockout path.

Signal Next step Open
I need the whole schedule first Use the fan handbook to choose between schedule, tickets, host cities, hotels, legal viewing, and team planning. Fan handbook
I need matches by date Use the group-stage schedule by date when the question is which teams play on a specific day. Group-stage schedule by date
I need tickets after checking dates Move date research into official ticketing, resale risk, prices, and hotel flexibility. Ticket hub
I need host-city planning Use city guides to compare stadium access, airports, hotel areas, and matchday movement. Host city hub
I need knockout planning Use Round of 32 guides before buying flexible or team-specific knockout tickets. Round of 32 ticket guide
Popular next steps

Turn schedule research into ticket and travel planning

After checking dates, use the safest next page for ticket buying, hotel timing, legal viewing, host-city movement, or bracket planning.

Key Match Windows

Verified schedule entries and planning pages

Group stage

USA vs Australia

June 19, 2026

Local time: 12:00 PDT

Teams: United States vs Australia

City: Seattle

Venue: Seattle Stadium

verified

FIFA lists USA vs Australia in Seattle as the second USA group-stage match at 12:00 local time.

Plan Seattle
Group stage

Group stage fixtures

June 2026

Local time: Varies

Teams: Multiple teams

City: Multiple host cities

Venue: Multiple venues

partial

FIFA now publishes full group-stage fixtures. Expand additional match cards only from official FIFA schedule or stadium pages.

Open teams tracker
Semi-final

Dallas semi-final

July 14, 2026

Local time: 15:00 EDT

Teams: To be determined

City: Dallas

Venue: Dallas Stadium

partial

Dallas is confirmed as the first semi-final site on July 14, but the teams remain bracket-dependent.

Plan Dallas
Semi-final

Atlanta semi-final

July 15, 2026

Local time: To be verified

Teams: To be determined

City: Atlanta

Venue: Atlanta Stadium

partial

Atlanta is confirmed as the second semi-final site at 15:00 EDT on July 15, but the teams remain bracket-dependent.

Plan Atlanta
Bronze final

Bronze final

July 18, 2026

Local time: 17:00 EDT

Teams: To be determined

City: Miami

Venue: Miami Stadium

partial

FIFA lists the bronze final at Miami Stadium on July 18 at 17:00 local time, while the participants remain unknown until the semi-finals finish.

Plan Miami

Host City Links

Jump from schedule moments to actual host city pages

Matchday Guides

Schedule and matchday planning pages

Mexico Opener Mexico vs South Africa 2026 World Cup Opening Match Planner

Fans searching for Mexico vs South Africa 2026 tickets, schedule, Mexico City hotels, and how to watch.

Mexico Guadalajara Mexico vs Korea Republic 2026 World Cup Guadalajara Planner

Fans searching for Mexico vs Korea Republic 2026 Guadalajara tickets, hotels, schedule, and viewing.

Mexico Group Finale Czechia vs Mexico 2026 World Cup Mexico City Planner

Fans searching for Czechia vs Mexico 2026 Mexico City schedule, tickets, hotels, and how to watch.

Canada Opener Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026 World Cup Toronto Planner

Fans searching for Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026 Toronto tickets, hotels, schedule, and viewing.

Canada Vancouver Canada vs Qatar 2026 World Cup Vancouver Planner

Fans searching for Canada vs Qatar 2026 Vancouver schedule, tickets, hotels, and viewing.

Canada Group Finale Switzerland vs Canada 2026 World Cup Vancouver Planner

Fans searching for Switzerland vs Canada 2026 Vancouver tickets, schedule, hotels, and viewing.

USMNT Opener USA vs Paraguay 2026 World Cup: LA Tickets and Kickoff Guide

Fans searching for USA vs Paraguay 2026 tickets, USMNT opener kickoff time, Los Angeles schedule, hotels, stadium return plans, and legal viewing.

USMNT Seattle USA vs Australia 2026 World Cup Seattle Planner

Fans searching for USA vs Australia 2026 Seattle schedule, tickets, hotels, and viewing options.

USMNT Group Finale USA vs Turkiye 2026 World Cup: LA Tickets and Kickoff Guide

Fans searching for USA vs Turkiye 2026 tickets, kickoff time, Los Angeles schedule, hotels, and how to watch legally.

Opening Match World Cup 2026 Opening Match: Mexico City Tickets and Travel Guide

Fans searching for the World Cup 2026 opening match, Mexico City tickets, hotels, airport timing, and safe travel planning.

USA Matchday USA Opening Matchday Los Angeles 2026 Planner

Fans searching for USA opening match 2026 Los Angeles planning, tickets, hotels, and transport.

Canada Matchday Canada Opening Matchday Toronto 2026 Planner

Fans searching for Canada World Cup 2026 opening match Toronto planning.

July 4 July 4 World Cup 2026 Philadelphia Round of 16 Planner

Fans searching for World Cup 2026 Philadelphia July 4 match planning.

Bronze Final World Cup 2026 Bronze Final: Miami Tickets and Travel Guide

Fans searching for the World Cup 2026 bronze final in Miami, tickets, hotels, date, stadium, and travel planning.

Final Day World Cup 2026 Final Day New York New Jersey Planner

Fans searching for World Cup 2026 Final tickets, hotels, transport, and New York New Jersey planning.

Group Stage World Cup 2026 Group Stage Schedule by Date: Official Dates

Fans searching for the 2026 World Cup group stage schedule by date, official fixtures, June match windows, and planning steps.

Knockout Stage World Cup 2026 Knockout Schedule

Fans searching for 2026 World Cup knockout stage dates, rounds, and planning rules.

Round of 32 World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Fixtures Guide

Fans searching how the 2026 Round of 32 works and when fixtures happen.

Quarter-Finals World Cup 2026 Quarter-Finals City Guide: Tickets, Hotels, Travel

Fans searching for 2026 World Cup quarter-final cities, tickets, hotels, travel, and team-path planning.

Semi-Finals World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals City Guide: Tickets, Hotels and Travel

Fans searching for 2026 World Cup semi-final cities and travel planning.

Final Week World Cup 2026 Final Week New York New Jersey Travel Guide

Fans searching for 2026 World Cup Final week New York New Jersey travel advice.

Time Zones World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times: US, UK and Europe Time-Zone Guide

Fans searching for World Cup 2026 kickoff times, European viewer windows, US time-zone conversions, UK viewing times, and legal ways to watch.

Matchday World Cup 2026 Matchday Checklist for International Fans

International fans searching for a World Cup 2026 matchday checklist, what to bring, stadium rules, ticket access, and arrival timing.

City Planning Guides

City ticket, hotel, and matchday planning pages

Reader Utility

How this schedule center supports readers

Filters

Team, city, and phase filters

Fans can move from schedule anchors to team status, host city pages, and match planning guides.

Time zones

Kickoff planning

Time zone notes help international readers plan matchdays without relying on static screenshots.

Reminders

Daily Football Brief

The newsletter gives schedule users repeat reminders, fixture context, and official-source update notes.

FAQ

Quick answers for schedule researchers

When does the 2026 World Cup start?

The 2026 World Cup starts on June 11, 2026, with the opening match in Mexico City.

How many matches are in the 2026 World Cup?

FIFA lists 104 matches for the expanded 48-team tournament.

Where is the 2026 World Cup final?

FIFA has confirmed New York New Jersey Stadium as the venue for the Final on July 19, 2026.

Are all team fixtures confirmed?

Group-stage fixtures are now published by FIFA. Knockout cards remain bracket-based until earlier rounds determine the participants.

Legal viewing note

Sports Pulse Media only covers lawful viewing options. We do not link to unauthorized access sources, fake live-stream pages, or misleading access offers. Confirm broadcaster and streaming access through official rightsholder pages in your country before paying or sharing personal details.

Source notes
  • FIFA official schedule page
  • FIFA updated match schedule
  • FIFA final announcement
  • Visible status and last-verified labels

Source and update notes

Schedule information is maintained from FIFA's official schedule and related host-city announcements. Recheck the official schedule before buying tickets, booking hotels, or relying on knockout matchup assumptions. This page is reviewed monthly before June 1, 2026, weekly from June 1 to June 10, and daily during the tournament when match-level pages are active.