The 2026 World Cup is just days away, marking the biggest finals in history with 48 teams and a round of 32. For the first time, three nations co-host the tournament, and Mexico becomes the first country to host the finals three times. Concerns over player welfare have prompted FIFA to introduce three-minute water breaks at every game, taken close to the midway point in each half.
France, Spain, and England are among the favourites to triumph, but as ever with summer tournaments, the key will be which teams arrive with the most players fit. New faces at the finals include Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan, with Curacao set to become the smallest nation ever to play at the World Cup.
England's Group and Fixtures
England have been drawn alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in Group L as they begin their quest to end what will be 60 years of hurt by the time the tournament kicks off in Mexico City. Fortunately for England fans, the Three Lions will be based mainly on the United States' east coast, ensuring relatively favourable kick-off times for those watching from home.
Group Stage Matches
- England vs Croatia: June 17, 9pm BST, Dallas
- England vs Ghana: June 23, 9pm BST, Boston
- Panama vs England: June 27, 12am BST, New York/New Jersey
Opening Match
Tournament co-hosts Mexico will face South Africa to open proceedings, a repeat of the 2010 World Cup's curtain-raiser which ended 1-1. The match kicks off on June 11 at 8pm BST in Mexico City.
Full Schedule and Venues
Matches will be hosted across 16 cities, with the final due to be held at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026. Here are the full fixtures, dates, venues, and kick-off times for the 2026 World Cup (all times BST):
June 11
- 8pm: Mexico vs South Africa (Group A, Mexico City)
June 12
- 3am: Korea Republic vs Czechia (Group A, Guadalajara)
- 8pm: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Toronto)
June 13
- 2am: USA vs Paraguay (Group D, Los Angeles)
- 5am: Australia vs Turkey (Group D, Vancouver)
- 8pm: Qatar vs Switzerland (Group B, San Francisco)
- 11pm: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C, New York/New Jersey)
June 14
- 2am: Haiti vs Scotland (Group C, Boston)
- 6pm: Germany vs Curacao (Group E, Houston)
- 9pm: Netherlands vs Japan (Group F, Dallas)
- 12am: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E, Philadelphia)
June 15
- 3am: Sweden vs Tunisia (Group F, Monterrey)
- 5pm: Spain vs Cape Verde (Group H, Atlanta)
- 8pm: Belgium vs Egypt (Group G, Seattle)
- 11pm: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (Group H, Miami)
June 16
- 2am: IR Iran vs New Zealand (Group G, Los Angeles)
- 8pm: France vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)
- 11pm: Iraq vs Norway (Group I, Boston)
June 17
- 2am: Argentina vs Algeria (Group J, Kansas City)
- 5am: Austria vs Jordan (Group J, San Francisco)
- 6pm: Portugal vs DR Congo (Group K, Houston)
- 9pm: England vs Croatia (Group L, Dallas)
- 12am: Ghana vs Panama (Group L, Toronto)
June 18
- 3am: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K, Mexico City)
- 5pm: Czechia vs South Africa (Group C, Atlanta)
- 8pm: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Los Angeles)
- 11pm: Canada vs Qatar (Group B, Vancouver)
June 19
- 2am: Mexico vs Korea Republic (Group A, Guadalajara)
- 5am: Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D, San Francisco)
- 8pm: USA vs Australia (Group D, Seattle)
- 11pm: Scotland vs Morocco (Group C, Boston)
June 20
- 2am: Brazil vs Haiti (Group C, Philadelphia)
- 6pm: Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F, Houston)
- 9pm: Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Toronto)
- 12am: Tunisia vs Japan (Group E, Monterrey)
June 21
- 1am: Ecuador vs Curacao (Group E, Kansas City)
- 5pm: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Atlanta)
- 8pm: Belgium vs IR Iran (Group G, Los Angeles)
- 11pm: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H, Miami)
June 22
- 2am: New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G, Vancouver)
- 6pm: Argentina vs Austria (Group J, Dallas)
- 10pm: France vs Iraq (Group I, Philadelphia)
June 23
- 1am: Norway vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)
- 4am: Jordan vs Algeria (Group J, San Francisco)
- 6pm: Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Houston)
- 9pm: England vs Ghana (Group L, Boston)
- 12am: Panama vs Croatia (Group L, Toronto)
June 24
- 3am: Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K, Guadalajara)
- 8pm: Switzerland vs Canada (Group B, Vancouver)
- 8pm: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B, Seattle)
- 11pm: Scotland vs Brazil (Group C, Miami)
- 11pm: Morocco vs Haiti (Group C, Atlanta)
June 25
- 2am: Czechia vs Mexico (Group A, Mexico City)
- 2am: South Africa vs Korea Republic (Group A, Monterrey)
- 9pm: Ecuador vs Germany (Group E, New York/New Jersey)
- 9pm: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Philadelphia)
- 12am: Japan vs Sweden (Group F, Dallas)
- 12am: Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F, Kansas City)
June 26
- 3am: Turkey vs USA (Group D, Los Angeles)
- 3am: Paraguay vs Australia (Group D, San Francisco)
- 8pm: Norway vs France (Group I, Boston)
- 8pm: Senegal vs Iraq (Group I, Toronto)
June 27
- 1am: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Houston)
- 1am: Uruguay vs Spain (Group H, Guadalajara)
- 4am: Egypt vs IR Iran (Group G, Seattle)
- 4am: New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G, Vancouver)
- 12am: Panama vs England (Group L, New York/New Jersey)
- 12am: Croatia vs Ghana (Group L, Philadelphia)
June 28
- 00.30am: Colombia vs Portugal (Group K, Miami)
- 00.30am: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Atlanta)
- 3am: Algeria vs Austria (Group J, Kansas City)
- 3am: Jordan vs Argentina (Group J, Dallas)
Round of 32
- June 28, 8pm: Match 73 – Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (Los Angeles)
- June 29, 6pm: Match 76 – Group C winners v Group F runners-up (Houston)
- June 29, 9.30pm: Match 74 – Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place (Boston)
- June 30, 2am: Match 75 – Group F winners v Group C runners-up (Monterrey)
- June 30, 6pm: Match 78 – Group E runners-up v Group I runners-up (Dallas)
- June 30, 10pm: Match 77 – Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place (New York/New Jersey)
- July 1, 2am: Match 79 – Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place (Mexico City)
- July 1, 5pm: Match 80 – Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place (Atlanta)
- July 1, 9pm: Match 82 – Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place (Seattle)
- July 2, 1am: Match 81 – Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place (San Francisco)
- July 2, 8pm: Match 84 – Group H winners v Group J runners-up (Los Angeles)
- July 2, 12am: Match 83 – Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up (Toronto)
- July 3, 4am: Match 85 – Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place (Vancouver)
- July 3, 7pm: Match 88 – Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up (Dallas)
- July 3, 11pm: Match 86 – Group J winners v Group H runners-up (Miami)
- July 4, 2.30am: Match 87 – Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place (Kansas City)
Round of 16
- July 4, 10pm: Match 89 – Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 (Philadelphia)
- July 4, 6pm: Match 90 – Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 (Houston)
- July 5, 9pm: Match 91 – Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 (New York/New Jersey)
- July 6, 1am: Match 92 – Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 (Mexico City)
- July 6, 8pm: Match 93 – Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 (Dallas)
- July 7, 1am: Match 94 – Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 (Seattle)
- July 7, 5pm: Match 95 – Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 (Atlanta)
- July 7, 9pm: Match 96 – Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 (Vancouver)
Quarter-Finals
- July 9, 9pm: Match 97 – Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 (Boston)
- July 10, 8pm: Match 98 – Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 (Los Angeles)
- July 11, 10pm: Match 99 – Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 (Miami)
- July 12, 2am: Match 100 – Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 (Kansas City)
Semi-Finals
- July 14, 8pm: Match 101 – Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 (Dallas)
- July 15, 8pm: Match 102 – Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 (Atlanta)
Third-Place Final
- July 18, 10pm: Match 103 – Loser match 101 v Loser match 102 (Miami)
Final
- July 19, 8pm: Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 (New York/New Jersey)
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