Full 2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule: Teams, Times & Locations for Group Stage
Here's everything to know about the opening matches of this year's World Cup and how the tournament works.
The stage is set for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the international soccer organization prepares to crown its next champion. As one of the most-watched sporting events in the world (the 2022 World Cup final match between Argentina and France boasted over 1.5 billion viewers worldwide), all eyes will be on the countries competing to take home the FIFA World Cup Trophy. But how does the World Cup work, exactly? When are all the games?
We've got you covered. Keep reading for all the details about the most exciting soccer tournament on Earth.
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Here's how the World Cup works
The format may seem confusing at first, but the World Cup is a fairly straightforward tournament.
Since 2023, teams have been qualifying for the 2026 World Cup through regional tournaments and league play. This year's host nations (USA, Canada, and Mexico) were automatically included in the group of 48 teams who have qualified.
With the field of 48 set, the group draw happened on December 5, 2025, and basically, four-team groups were determined with a high priority on competitively-balanced groups. It's a somewhat complicated system, but essentially, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) split up the 48-team field into 12 groups (named with the letters A through L).
Now that the groups have been set, the group play will begin — and that's when the World Cup kicks off in grand fashion. Each team will play the other teams in their group once (three games total), with the top two teams in each group moving on to the knockout stage, along with the eight best remaining teams that didn't finish in the top two of their group.
From there, the final 32 teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament, with the last nation standing being crowned the 2026 FIFA World Cup winner in the final on July 19, 2026.
With that being said, here is the group stage schedule for all 48 teams competing in the World Cup, along with where those matches will be contested.
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Group Stage schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Matches will be held in soccer stadiums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Mexico vs. South Africa - Group A – Mexico City Stadium
Korea Republic vs. Czechia – Group A - Estadio Guadalajara
Friday, June 12, 2026
Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Group B – Toronto Stadium
USA vs. Paraguay - Group D – Los Angeles Stadium
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Haiti vs. Scotland – Group C - Boston Stadium
Australia vs. Türkiye – Group D - BC Place Vancouver
Brazil vs. Morocco – Group C - New York New Jersey Stadium
Qatar vs. Switzerland – Group B - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Côte d'Ivoire vs. Ecuador – Group E - Philadelphia Stadium
Germany vs. Curaçao – Group E - Houston Stadium
Netherlands vs. Japan – Group F - Dallas Stadium
Sweden vs. Tunisia – Group F - Estadio Monterrey
Monday, June 15, 2026
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay – Group H - Miami Stadium
Spain vs. Cabo Verde – Group H - Atlanta Stadium
IR Iran vs. New Zealand – Group G - Los Angeles Stadium
Belgium vs. Egypt – Group G - Seattle Stadium
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
France vs. Senegal – Group I - New York New Jersey Stadium
Iraq vs. Norway – Group I - Boston Stadium
Argentina vs. Algeria – Group J - Kansas City Stadium
Austria vs. Jordan – Group J - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Ghana vs. Panama – Group L - Toronto Stadium
England vs. Croatia – Group L - Dallas Stadium
Portugal vs. Congo DR – Group K - Houston Stadium
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia – Group K - Mexico City Stadium
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Czechia vs. South Africa – Group A - Atlanta Stadium
Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Group B - Los Angeles Stadium
Canada vs. Qatar - Group B – BC Place Vancouver
Mexico vs. Korea Republic - Group A - Estadio Guadalajara
Friday, June 19, 2026
Brazil vs. Haiti – Group C - Philadelphia Stadium
Scotland vs. Morocco – Group C - Boston Stadium
Türkiye vs. Paraguay – Group D - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
USA vs. Australia - Group D – Seattle Stadium
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Germany vs. Côte d'Ivoire – Group E - Toronto Stadium
Ecuador vs. Curaçao – Group E - Kansas City Stadium
Netherlands vs. Sweden – Group F - Houston Stadium
Tunisia vs. Japan – Group F - Estadio Monterrey
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Uruguay vs. Cabo Verde – Group H - Miami Stadium
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia – Group H - Atlanta Stadium
Belgium vs. IR Iran – Group G - Los Angeles Stadium
New Zealand vs. Egypt – Group G - BC Place Vancouver
Monday, June 22, 2026
Norway vs. Senegal – Group I - New York New Jersey Stadium
France vs. Iraq – Group I - Philadelphia Stadium
Argentina vs. Austria – Group J - Dallas Stadium
Jordan vs. Algeria – Group J - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
England vs. Ghana – Group L - Boston Stadium
Panama vs. Croatia – Group L - Toronto Stadium
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan – Group K - Houston Stadium
Colombia vs. Congo DR – Group K - Estadio Guadalajara
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Scotland vs. Brazil – Group C - Miami Stadium
Morocco vs. Haiti – Group C - Atlanta Stadium
Switzerland vs. Canada - Group B – BC Place Vancouver
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar – Group B - Seattle Stadium
Czechia vs. Mexico - Group A – Mexico City Stadium
South Africa vs. Korea Republic – Group A - Estadio Monterrey
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Curaçao vs. Côte d'Ivoire – Group E - Philadelphia Stadium
Ecuador vs. Germany – Group E - New York New Jersey Stadium
Japan vs. Sweden – Group F - Dallas Stadium
Tunisia vs. Netherlands – Group F - Kansas City Stadium
Türkiye vs. USA - Group D – Los Angeles Stadium
Paraguay vs. Australia – Group D - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Friday, June 26, 2026
Norway vs. France – Group I - Boston Stadium
Senegal vs. Iraq – Group I - Toronto Stadium
Egypt vs. IR Iran – Group G - Seattle Stadium
New Zealand vs. Belgium – Group G - BC Place Vancouver
Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia – Group H - Houston Stadium
Uruguay vs. Spain – Group H - Estadio Guadalajara
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Panama vs. England – Group L - New York New Jersey Stadium
Croatia vs. Ghana – Group L - Philadelphia Stadium
Algeria vs. Austria – Group J - Kansas City Stadium
Jordan vs. Argentina – Group J - Dallas Stadium
Colombia vs. Portugal – Group K - Miami Stadium
Congo DR vs. Uzbekistan – Group K - Atlanta Stadium
After the group stage ends, the knockout stage begins on June 28, 2026.
