All Match Dates, Times, and Team Fixtures for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history, marking a new era for global soccer. FIFA has expanded the competition to 48 teams and is returning the event to North America—this time shared across three host nations for the first time ever. The United States and Mexico will each be hosting the World Cup for the second time, with the U.S. last staging it in 1994 and Mexico previously hosting in 1970 and 1986. For Canada, however, hosting World Cup matches represents an entirely new milestone.
The group-stage draw will take place on December 5, when all qualified teams will discover their opponents and potential routes to the final. Exact match dates and kickoff times will be confirmed the following day.
Below is The Sporting News’ comprehensive guide to the tournament schedule, including fixtures, venues, kickoff times, and results as they unfold.
The 2026 tournament will debut the expanded 48-team format, beginning with a group stage consisting of 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group automatically advance to the knockout rounds, along with the eight best third-place finishers, forming a 32-team single-elimination bracket.
New bracket rules ensure that the world’s current top-four FIFA-ranked nations—Spain, Argentina, France, and England—are positioned on opposite sides and cannot meet until the late rounds. Host nations have also been pre-assigned: Mexico in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D.
Teams reaching the semifinals will play eight total matches: three in the group stage and five in the knockout rounds, including the final or the third-place playoff.
