The 2026 World Cup is underway, marking the largest edition ever 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 a World Cup finals three times.
Player welfare concerns have led FIFA to introduce three-minute water breaks at every match, taken near the midpoint of each half. France, Spain, and England are among the favorites, but as always, player fitness will be crucial.
New participants include Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. Curacao will become the smallest nation ever to compete in the finals.
England's Group and Fixtures
England has been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. The Three Lions will be based mainly on the US east coast, offering favorable kick-off times for UK viewers.
Tournament co-hosts Mexico open the tournament against South Africa, a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener that ended 1-1. Matches will be held across 16 cities, with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, 2026.
Full Fixtures and Kick-Off Times (BST)
June 11
8pm: Mexico vs South Africa (Group A, Mexico City)
June 12
3am: South Korea 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 South Korea (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 South Korea (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)
Group Standings
All groups begin with zero points, goal difference, and goals scored. The top two from each group advance to the round of 32, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
Group A
- Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- South Africa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- South Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Czechia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group B
- Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Qatar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group C
- Brazil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Morocco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Haiti 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group D
- USA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Paraguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Turkey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group E
- Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Curacao 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Ivory Coast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Ecuador 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group F
- Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Sweden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Tunisia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group G
- Belgium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Egypt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Iran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- New Zealand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group H
- Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Cape Verde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Saudi Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Uruguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group I
- France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Senegal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Norway 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group J
- Argentina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Algeria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Austria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Jordan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group K
- Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- DR Congo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Uzbekistan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Colombia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Group L
- England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Ghana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Panama 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Knockout Stage
Round of 32
June 28
8pm: Match 73 – Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up (Los Angeles)
June 29
6pm: Match 76 – Group C winners vs Group F runners-up (Houston)
9.30pm: Match 74 – Group E winners vs Group A/B/C/D/F third place (Boston)
June 30
2am: Match 75 – Group F winners vs Group C runners-up (Monterrey)
6pm: Match 78 – Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up (Dallas)
10pm: Match 77 – Group I winners vs Group C/D/F/G/H third place (New York/New Jersey)
July 1
2am: Match 79 – Group A winners vs Group C/E/F/H/I third place (Mexico City)
5pm: Match 80 – Group L winners vs Group E/H/I/J/K third place (Atlanta)
9pm: Match 82 – Group G winners vs Group A/E/H/I/J third place (Seattle)
July 2
1am: Match 81 – Group D winners vs Group B/E/F/I/J third place (San Francisco)
8pm: Match 84 – Group H winners vs Group J runners-up (Los Angeles)
12am: Match 83 – Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up (Toronto)
July 3
4am: Match 85 – Group B winners vs Group E/F/G/I/J third place (Vancouver)
7pm: Match 88 – Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up (Dallas)
11pm: Match 86 – Group J winners vs Group H runners-up (Miami)
July 4
2.30am: Match 87 – Group K winners vs Group D/E/I/J/L third place (Kansas City)
Round of 16
July 4
10pm: Match 89 – Winner match 74 vs Winner match 77 (Philadelphia)
6pm: Match 90 – Winner match 73 vs Winner match 75 (Houston)
July 5
9pm: Match 91 – Winner match 76 vs Winner match 78 (New York/New Jersey)
July 6
1am: Match 92 – Winner match 79 vs Winner match 80 (Mexico City)
8pm: Match 93 – Winner match 83 vs Winner match 84 (Dallas)
July 7
1am: Match 94 – Winner match 81 vs Winner match 82 (Seattle)
5pm: Match 95 – Winner match 86 vs Winner match 88 (Atlanta)
9pm: Match 96 – Winner match 85 vs Winner match 87 (Vancouver)
Quarter-Finals
July 9
9pm: Match 97 – Winner match 89 vs Winner match 90 (Boston)
July 10
8pm: Match 98 – Winner match 93 vs Winner match 94 (Los Angeles)
July 11
10pm: Match 99 – Winner match 91 vs Winner match 92 (Miami)
July 12
2am: Match 100 – Winner match 95 vs Winner match 96 (Kansas City)
Semi-Finals
July 14
8pm: Match 101 – Winner match 97 vs Winner match 98 (Dallas)
July 15
8pm: Match 102 – Winner match 99 vs Winner match 100 (Atlanta)
Third-Place Final
July 18
10pm: Match 103 – Loser match 101 vs Loser match 102 (Miami)
Final
July 19
8pm: Match 104 – Winner match 101 vs Winner match 102 (New York/New Jersey)
