Complete Schedule, Dates, Venues & All 72 Matches: FIFA World Cup 2026
By StrikerReport Editorial Team | June 1, 2026 | Updated Daily
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Fixtures: Everything You Need to Know
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage fixtures represent the biggest opening round in tournament history. For the first time ever, 48 nations compete in 12 groups of four teams across three host countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — in a 17-day opening phase that runs from June 11 to June 27, 2026. A total of 72 matches must be played before the knockout rounds begin, spread across 16 stadiums in 16 cities. If you thought keeping track of the 2022 Qatar group stage was demanding, the 2026 edition runs at nearly twice the volume.
The format is straightforward but expanded. Each team plays three group-stage matches. The top two finishers from each of the 12 groups advance automatically to the Round of 32. Additionally, the eight best third-placed teams across all groups also qualify — meaning 32 teams in total reach the knockout stage. That third-place qualification system rewards countries that produce strong results across multiple groups, and creates genuine jeopardy for teams finishing third even when they win two of their three group matches.
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage takes place on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — the only stadium in history to host three World Cup opening matches, after 1970 and 1986. Mexico face South Africa in Group A, kicking off at 3:00 PM ET. This is also the first World Cup to feature multiple opening ceremonies: separate events take place at BMO Field in Toronto on June 12 before Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, and at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before USA vs Paraguay on the same day.
The 12 Groups: Full FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Fixture Breakdown
The 48 teams have been drawn into 12 groups — Group A through Group L — with each group hosting four nations. Here is the complete group allocation confirmed after the Final Draw on December 5, 2025 and the qualifying playoffs:
| Group | Teams | Primary Venues |
|---|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, UEFA Playoff D | Mexico City, Guadalajara, Atlanta |
| Group B | Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, UEFA Playoff A | Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti | New York/NJ, Philadelphia, Boston |
| Group D | USA, Australia, Paraguay, UEFA Playoff C | Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco |
| Group E | Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curaçao | Houston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Kansas City |
| Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, UEFA Playoff B | Dallas, Houston, Monterrey |
| Group G | Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand | Seattle, Los Angeles |
| Group H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay | Atlanta, Miami |
| Group I | France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff 2 | New York/NJ, Boston |
| Group J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan | Kansas City, San Francisco |
| Group K | Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, FIFA Playoff 1 | Houston, Mexico City |
| Group L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama | Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, New York/NJ |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Schedule by Matchday
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage schedule is divided into three matchdays: Matchday 1 (June 11–17), Matchday 2 (June 18–23), and Matchday 3 (June 24–27). All times are Eastern Time (ET).
📅 Matchday 1 — June 11–17, 2026
| Date | Match | Venue | KO (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Jun 11 | Mexico vs South Africa — Grp A | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM |
| Thu Jun 11 | South Korea vs UEFA PO-D — Grp A | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 10:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 12 | Canada vs UEFA PO-A — Grp B | BMO Field, Toronto | 4:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 12 | USA vs Paraguay — Grp D | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 13 | Brazil vs Scotland — Grp C | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ | 6:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 13 | Morocco vs Haiti — Grp C | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 9:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 13 | Qatar vs Switzerland — Grp B | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 12:00 AM |
| Sun Jun 14 | Germany vs Curaçao — Grp E | NRG Stadium, Houston | 1:00 PM |
| Sun Jun 14 | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador — Grp E | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 4:00 PM |
| Sun Jun 14 | Netherlands vs Japan — Grp F | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Sun Jun 14 | UEFA PO-B vs Tunisia — Grp F | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 10:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 15 | Spain vs Cape Verde — Grp H | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 12:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 15 | Belgium vs Egypt — Grp G | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 15 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay — Grp H | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 15 | Iran vs New Zealand — Grp G | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 16 | France vs Senegal — Grp I | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ | 3:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 16 | FIFA PO-2 vs Norway — Grp I | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 6:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 16 | Argentina vs Algeria — Grp J | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 9:00 PM |
| Wed Jun 17 | Austria vs Jordan — Grp J | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 12:00 AM |
| Wed Jun 17 | Portugal vs FIFA PO-1 — Grp K | NRG Stadium, Houston | 1:00 PM |
| Wed Jun 17 | England vs Croatia — Grp L | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 4:00 PM |
| Wed Jun 17 | Ghana vs Panama — Grp L | BMO Field, Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Jun 17 | Uzbekistan vs Colombia — Grp K | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 10:00 PM |
📅 Matchday 2 — June 18–23, 2026
| Date | Match | Venue | KO (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Jun 18 | UEFA PO-D vs South Africa — Grp A | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 12:00 PM |
| Thu Jun 18 | Switzerland vs UEFA PO-A — Grp B | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 3:00 PM |
| Thu Jun 18 | Canada vs Qatar — Grp B | BC Place, Vancouver | 6:00 PM |
| Thu Jun 18 | Mexico vs South Korea — Grp A | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 9:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 19 | USA vs Australia — Grp D | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 19 | Scotland vs Morocco — Grp C | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 6:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 19 | Brazil vs Haiti — Grp C | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 9:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 20 | Netherlands vs UEFA PO-B — Grp F | NRG Stadium, Houston | 1:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 20 | Germany vs Ivory Coast — Grp E | BMO Field, Toronto | 4:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 20 | Ecuador vs Curaçao — Grp E | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 8:00 PM |
| Sat Jun 20 | Tunisia vs Japan — Grp F | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 12:00 AM |
| Sun Jun 21 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia — Grp H | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 12:00 PM |
| Sun Jun 21 | Belgium vs Iran — Grp G | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 3:00 PM |
| Sun Jun 21 | Uruguay vs Cape Verde — Grp H | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 22 | France vs Norway — Grp I | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ | 3:00 PM |
| Mon Jun 22 | Senegal vs FIFA PO-2 — Grp I | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 6:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 23 | Argentina vs Austria — Grp J | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 6:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 23 | Portugal vs Colombia — Grp K | NRG Stadium, Houston | 9:00 PM |
| Tue Jun 23 | England vs Ghana — Grp L | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 9:00 PM |
📅 Matchday 3 — June 24–27, 2026 (All Final Group Matches — Simultaneous Kickoffs)
| Date | Match (Group) | Venue | KO (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed Jun 24 | Mexico vs UEFA PO-D (Grp A) & South Africa vs South Korea (Grp A) | Mexico City & Atlanta | Simultaneous |
| Thu Jun 25 | Canada vs Switzerland (Grp B) & Qatar vs UEFA PO-A (Grp B) | Vancouver & Los Angeles | Simultaneous |
| Thu Jun 25 | USA vs UEFA PO-C (Grp D) | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| Fri Jun 26 | Brazil vs Morocco (Grp C) & Scotland vs Haiti (Grp C) | Philadelphia & Boston | Simultaneous |
| Fri Jun 26 | Germany vs Ecuador (Grp E) & Ivory Coast vs Curaçao (Grp E) | Philadelphia & Kansas City | Simultaneous |
| Sat Jun 27 | Spain vs Uruguay (Grp H) & Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Grp H) | Atlanta & Miami | Simultaneous |
| Sat Jun 27 | Panama vs England (Grp L) & Croatia vs Ghana (Grp L) | New York/NJ & Philadelphia | Simultaneous |
| Fri Jun 27 | France vs FIFA PO-2 (Grp I) & Norway vs Senegal (Grp I) | New York/NJ & Boston | Simultaneous |
How to Qualify from the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage
Understanding the qualification route from the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage is essential for every fan tracking their nation. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups — 24 teams in total — advance automatically to the Round of 32. The remaining eight places go to the best third-placed teams across all groups, ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals scored, and then disciplinary record if needed. This means third place in a competitive group is not automatically a death sentence — but a team finishing third needs results across other groups to fall their way. The group stage concludes on June 27, with all final group matches within each group kicking off simultaneously to prevent tactical collusion.
Where to Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage
In the USA, all 104 matches are available on Peacock, with Telemundo carrying 92 matches in Spanish. From the Round of 16 onward, matches broadcast exclusively on the main FOX network. In the UK, BBC and ITV share broadcasting rights across the tournament. In Australia, SBS On Demand carries the coverage. In the Middle East and Pakistan, beIN Sports holds broadcast rights.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage fixtures represent the most ambitious opening round in the tournament’s history. Forty-eight nations, three continents, 72 matches — and at the end of it, 32 teams remain to contest the most expanded knockout bracket football has ever seen. Mark every date. Miss nothing.
Also read: The Grandest Stages on Earth: Every FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadium Ranked and Revealed
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