FIFA 2026 World Cup game schedule: Times, groups, bracket
The full schedule of the 2026 World Cup is locked in as the world prepares for the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the tournament
www.cbssports.comHere’s the latest on the 2026 World Cup schedule based on recent public reporting.
Answer (brief)
- The 2026 World Cup schedule has been fully released with dates, venues, and kickoff times across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament runs from mid-June to mid-July, with a final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. [sources: NBC Sports schedule details; CBS Sports schedule and groups coverage; MLS Soccer fixture list by city and stadium]
Details
- Overall structure
- 48 teams compete in 104 matches across 16 venues in three countries, culminating in a final in late June/early July 2026 period, with group stage followed by knockout rounds. This expansion and format are confirmed by FIFA and major outlets reporting on the schedule release. [sources: FIFA World Cup 26 overview; Sky Sports coverage of dates, venues, and format]
- Key dates and venues
- Opening matches are scheduled for mid-June 2026 across multiple cities, with group stage play spread over roughly three weeks, leading to the knockout rounds. Venues include stadiums in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, New York/New Jersey, Atlanta, Seattle, Philadelphia, and others, plus venues in Canada and Mexico. [sources: NBC Sports schedule, CBS Sports game-by-game listings, Skysports fixture breakdown]
- Notable matchups to watch
- The schedule highlights group stage clashes featuring traditional powerhouses and emerging teams, including matches involving teams from Group E, F, G, H, J, and K with games spread across different time zones to accommodate global audiences. [sources: NBC Sports excerpted group listings; CBS Sports recap of group-by-group matches]
- How to follow
- Most outlets provide game-by-game calendars, kickoff times in local and Eastern times, and venue details. If you’re planning in the U.S. or Canada, you can typically filter by city or venue to see your preferred teams and matches. [sources: Roadtrips schedule table; CBS Sports schedule page; MLS Soccer schedule by city]
Illustration
- Example: A sample day could include a mid-afternoon EST kickoff in one city (e.g., Dallas or Houston) followed by a prime-time game on the East Coast, with simultaneous matches in another time zone later that evening. This kind of day was typical in the 2026 schedule coverage from major outlets. [sources: CBS Sports schedule entries; NBC Sports schedule entries]
Would you like me to pull a city-by-city calendar or a printable one-page schedule for your region (New York City area) or a specific group/venue? I can also compile a compact table of all kickoff times by venue and date. If you want direct links to the official FIFA schedule pages, I can provide those as well. [sources: NBC Sports; CBS Sports; Roadtrips; MLS Soccer]
Citations
- NBC Sports: "2026 World Cup schedule confirmed: Dates, times, stadiums — Full details"[1]
- Roadtrips: "2026 World Cup Schedule – USA, Canada and Mexico - Roadtrips"[2]
- CBS Sports: "FIFA 2026 World Cup game schedule: Times, groups, bracket"[3]
- Wikipedia: "2026 FIFA World Cup" overview and schedule discussions[4]
- FIFA: "FIFA World Cup 26™" overview[5]
- YouTube: "FIFA World Cup 2026™ Match Schedule Reveal" (schedule announcement context)[6]
- MLS Soccer: "FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule: Every game by city & stadium"[7]
- Sky Sports: "World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick-off times"[9]