Full 2026 FIFA World Cup Fixtures, Match Dates, Venues And Kickoff Time

The stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday in the Americas with South Africa and Mexico facing each other in the opening fixture.

The match is expected to bring back memories of the 2010 edition of the tournament, when both countries also met in the first game of the World Cup hosted by South Africa.

That encounter remains one of the most memorable opening matches in World Cup history, and Thursday’s clash will offer both teams another opportunity to begin their campaign on a strong note.

Naija News reports that the 2026 edition marks a historic moment for global football, as the World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time.

The expansion from the previous 32-team format is expected to give more countries the chance to compete on football’s biggest stage and increase the number of matches during the competition.

The tournament will bring together teams from across the world, with fans looking forward to weeks of intense football, drama and national pride.

Africa will be represented by 10 countries at the tournament, the highest number of teams the continent has ever produced for a World Cup.

The increased African representation has raised expectations among fans on the continent, with hopes that one of the teams could make a deep run in the competition.

South Africa, who will feature in the opening match, will be one of the African sides carrying the continent’s hopes.

For Mexico and South Africa, the opening fixture carries historical significance.

Their meeting in the 2026 opener is expected to attract huge attention, not only because of the history between both countries but also because of the excitement surrounding the expanded tournament.

2026 World Cup Group Stage Match Fixtures

Below are the full fixtures for the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, which kicks off on June 11 (all kickoff times in GMT):

Thursday, June 11

• Mexico City: Group A: Mexico v South Africa (1900 GMT)
• Guadalajara: Group A: South Korea v Czech Republic (0200 GMT Friday)

Friday, June 12

• Toronto: Group B: Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina (1900 GMT)
• Los Angeles: Group D: United States v Paraguay (0100 GMT Saturday)

Saturday, June 13

• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Group B: Qatar v Switzerland (1900 GMT)
• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Group C: Brazil v Morocco (2200 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Group C: Haiti v Scotland (0100 GMT Sunday)
• Vancouver: Group D: Australia v Turkey (0400 GMT Sunday)

Sunday, June 14

• Houston: Group E: Germany v Curacao (1700 GMT)
• Arlington/Dallas: Group F: Netherlands v Japan (2000 GMT)
• Philadelphia: Group E: Ivory Coast v Ecuador (2300 GMT)
• Monterrey: Group F: Sweden v Tunisia (0200 GMT Monday)

Monday, June 15

• Atlanta: Group H: Spain v Cape Verde (1600 GMT)
• Seattle: Group G: Belgium v Egypt (1900 GMT)
• Miami: Group H: Saudi Arabia v Uruguay 2200 GMT)
• Los Angeles: Group G: Iran v New Zealand (0100 GMT Tuesday)

Tuesday, June 16

• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Group I: France v Senegal (1900 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Group I: Iraq v Norway (2200 GMT)
• Kansas City: Group J: Argentina v Algeria (0100 GMT Wednesday)
• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Group J: Austria v Jordan (0400 GMT Wednesday)

Wednesday, June 17

• Houston: Group K: Portugal v DR Congo (1700 GMT)
• Arlington/Dallas: Group L: England v Croatia (2000 GMT)
• Toronto: Group L: Ghana v Panama (2300 GMT)
• Mexico City: Group K: Uzbekistan v Colombia (0200 GMT Thursday)

Thursday, June 18

Atlanta: Group A: Czech Republic v South Africa (1600 GMT)
Los Angeles: Group B: Switzerland v Bosnia-Herzegovina (1900 GMT)
Vancouver: Group B: Canada v Qatar (2200 GMT)
Guadalajara: Group B: Mexico v South Korea (0100 GMT)

Friday June 19

• Seattle: Group D: USA v Australia (1900 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Group C: Scotland v Morocco 2200 GMT)
• Philadelphia: Group C: Brazil v Haiti (0030 GMT)
• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Group D: Turkey v Paraguay (0300 GMT Saturday)

Saturday June 20

• Houston: Group F: Netherlands v Sweden (1700 GMT)
• Toronto: Group E: Germany v Ivory Coast (2000 GMT)
• Kansas City: Group E: Ecuador v Curacao (0000 GMT)
• Monterrey: Group F: Tunisia v Japan (0400 GMT Sunday)

Sunday June 21

• Atlanta: Group H: Spain v Saudi Arabia (1600 GMT)
• Los Angeles: Group G: Belgium v Iran (1900 GMT)
• Miami: Group H: Uruguay v Cape Verde 2200 GMT)
• Vancouver: Group G: New Zealand v Egypt (0100 GMT Monday)

Monday, June 22

• Arlington/Dallas: Group J: Argentina v Austria (1700 GMT)
• Philadelphia: Group I: France v Iraq (2100 GMT)
• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Group I: Norway v Senegal (0000 GMT Tuesday)
• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Group J: Jordan v Algeria (0300 GMT Tuesday)

Tuesday, June 23

• Houston: Group K: Portugal v Uzbekistan (1700 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Group L: England v Ghana (2000 GMT)
• Toronto: Group L: Panama v Croatia (2300 GMT)
• Guadalajara: Group K: Colombia v DR Congo (0200 GMT Wednesday)

Wednesday, June 24

• Vancouver: Group B: Switzerland v Canada (1900 GMT)
• Seattle: Group B: Bosnia v Qatar (1900 GMT)
• Atlanta: Group C: Morocco v Haiti (2200 GMT)
• Miami: Group C: Scotland v Brazil (2200 GMT)
• Mexico City: Group A: Czech Republic v Mexico (0100 GMT Thursday)
• Monterrey: Group A: South Africa v South Korea (0100 GMT Thursday)

Thursday, June 25

• Philadelphia: Group E: Curacao v Ivory Coast (2000 GMT)
• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Group E: Ecuador v Germany (2000 GMT)
• Arlington/Dallas: Group F: Japan v Sweden (2300 GMT)
• Kansas City: Group F: Tunisia v Netherlands (2300 GMT)
• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Group D: Paraguay v Australia (0200 GMT Friday)
• Los Angeles: Group D: Turkey v USA (0200 GMT Friday)

Friday, June 26

• Toronto: Group I: Senegal v Iraq (1900 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Group I: Norway v France (1900 GMT)
• Guadalajara: Group H: Uruguay v Spain (0000 GMT)
• Houston: Group H: Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia (0000 GMT)
• Vancouver: Group G: New Zealand v Belgium (0300 GMT Saturday)
• Seattle: Group G: Egypt v Iran (0300 GMT Saturday)

Saturday, June 27

• Philadelphia: Group L: Croatia v Ghana (2100 GMT)
• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Group L: Panama v England (2100 GMT)
• Atlanta: Group K: DR Congo v Uzbekistan (2330 GMT)
• Miami: Group K: Colombia v Portugal (2330 GMT)
• Arlington/Dallas: Group J: Jordan v Argentina (0200 GMT Sunday)
• Kansas City: Group J: Algeria v Austria (0200 GMT Sunday)

ROUND OF 32

Sunday, June 28

• Los Angeles: Match 73: Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (1900 GMT)

Monday, June 29

• Houston: Match 76: Group C winners v Group F runners-up (1700 GMT)
• Foxborough/Boston: Match 74: Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place (2030 GMT)
• Monterrey: Match 75: Group F winners v Group C runners-up (0100 GMT Tuesday)

Tuesday June 30

• Arlington/Dallas: Match 78: Group E runners-up v Group I runners-up (1700 GMT)
• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Match 77: Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place (2100 GMT)
• Mexico City: Match 79: Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place (0100 GMT Wednesday)

Wednesday July 1

• Atlanta: Match 80: Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place (1600 GMT)
• Seattle: Match 82: Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J winners (2000 GMT)
• Santa Clara/San Francisco: Match 81: Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place (0000 GMT)

Thursday July 2

• Los Angeles: Match 84: Group H winners v Group J runners-up (1900 GMT)
• Toronto: Match 83: Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up (2300 GMT)
• Vancouver: Match 85: Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place (0300 GMT Friday)

Friday July 3

• Arlington/Dallas: Match 88: Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up (1800 GMT)
• Miami: Match 86: Group J winners v Group H runners-up (2200 GMT)
• Kansas City: Match 87: Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place (0130 GMT Saturday)

ROUND OF 16

Saturday July 4

• Houston: Match 90: Match 73 winners v Match 75 winners (1700 GMT)
• Philadelphia: Match 89: Match 74 winners v Match 77 winners (2100 GMT)

Sunday July 5

• East Rutherford/New Jersey: Match 91: Match 76 winners v Match 78 winners (2000 GMT)
• Mexico City: Match 92: Match 79 winners v Match 80 winners (0000 GMT)

Sunday, July 6

• Arlington/Dallas: Match 93: Match 83 winners v Match 84 winners (1900 GMT)
• Seattle: Match 94: Match 81 winners v Match 82 winners (0000 GMT)

Tuesday July 7

• Atlanta: Match 86 winners v Match 88 winners (1600 GMT)
• Vancouver: Match 96: Match 85 winners v Match 87 winners (2000 GMT)

QUARTER-FINALS

Thursday July 9

• Foxborough/Boston: Match 97: Match 89 winners v Match 90 winners (2000 GMT)

Friday, July 10

• Los Angeles: Match 98: Match 93 winners v Match 94 winners (1900 GMT)

Saturday, July 11

• Miami: Match 99: Match 91 winners v Match 92 winners (2100 GMT)
• Kansas City: Match 100: Match 95 winners v Match 96 winners (0100 GMT Sunday)

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday, July 14

• Arlington/Dallas: Match 101: Match 97 winners v Match 98 winners (1900 GMT)

Wednesday, July 15

• Atlanta: Match 102: Match 99 winners v Match 100 winners (1900 GMT)

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF

Saturday, July 18

• Miami: Match 103: Loser Match 101 v Loser Match 102 (2100 GMT)

FINAL

Sunday, July 19

• East Rutherford