World Cup 2026 Fixtures – Full Schedule, Dates & Groups

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is hosted across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, featuring a record 48 teams and 104 matches between 11 June and 19 July 2026. All kick-off times on this page are in British Summer Time (BST). This page will be updated as FIFA confirms further scheduling and kick-off details.

World Cup 2026 Fixtures Overview

The FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule spans 39 days of football across North America. Twelve groups of four teams play through the group stage before 32 teams enter an expanded knockout bracket that now includes a brand-new Round of 32. The table below gives a quick overview of the key tournament facts.

Following the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule will be straightforward for UK fans, with all matches on BBC and ITV. For those looking to engage with the tournament further, our guide to the best football betting sites covers the key operators and offers available for UK readers. The favourites will dominate the headlines, but the real tournament drama often comes from the World Cup underdogs capable of ruining an accumulator in 90 minutes.

Full World Cup 2026 Group Stage Fixtures

The World Cup 2026 group stage runs from 11 June to 27 June 2026. All 48 teams play three matches each. The top two teams from each group advance automatically to the Round of 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups.

Many World Cup 2026 group stage fixtures kick off late in UK time due to the North American time zone difference. BST times range from approximately 20:00 to as late as 05:00 the following morning. Confirmed kick-off times are shown where available. Readers should check BBC Sport or the official FIFA website for the complete and fully up-to-date fixture list.

World Cup 2026 Groups: All 12 Groups Confirmed

The draw for FIFA World Cup 2026 took place on 5 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. All 12 groups are confirmed following the completion of the qualifying playoffs on 31 March 2026.

England’s Group L Fixtures

England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama. All three group-stage fixtures are confirmed, with kick-off times and broadcasters announced by ITV and BBC. These are among the most important World Cup 2026 matches for UK readers to note.

England vs Croatia on 17 June is one of the standout group-stage fixtures for UK audiences. A win here would put England in a strong position heading into the Ghana and Panama matches. Exact kick-off times for all three matches are confirmed above, though schedules should be verified on BBC Sport and ITV Sport closer to the tournament.

Selected Key Group Stage Fixtures

The following table highlights a selection of confirmed and anticipated high-profile group-stage matches. Kick-off times marked TBC should be verified on BBC Sport or the official FIFA website. Times marked as confirmed are drawn from official UK broadcaster announcements or verified North American broadcast schedules.

* Matches marked with an asterisk kick off after midnight BST and roll into the early hours of the following morning for UK viewers. All times should be verified on BBC Sport and ITV Sport, which will carry full schedules and BST kick-off confirmations for all 104 matches.

World Cup 2026 Knockout Stage Fixtures

The World Cup 2026 knockout fixtures begin on 28 June 2026, once the group stage concludes. This edition of the World Cup introduces a Round of 32 for the first time in tournament history, meaning 32 teams compete in winner-takes-all matches before the bracket progresses to the more familiar Round of 16 and beyond.

A total of 32 teams advance from the group stage: the top two finishers from each of the 12 groups, plus the eight best third-placed teams. From the Round of 16 onward, all matches are played in the United States only.

FIFA has structured the 2026 knockout bracket using a two-pathway system designed to keep the highest-ranked teams apart until the semi-finals. England (ranked fourth) and France (ranked third) are in separate pathways, as are Spain (first) and Argentina (second). This means, if all four progress from their groups, none of these sides would meet until the semi-finals at the earliest.

The table below shows the confirmed knockout stage schedule, including dates and host venues.

Specific matchups for the Round of 32 and later rounds depend entirely on group-stage results. Confirmed bracket pairings will be published on BBC Sport and ITV Sport as they are determined. This page will be updated accordingly.

With 32 teams still in contention at the knockout stage, the tournament produces some of the most unpredictable football of the summer. Our guide to the top football betting sites is worth a look if you are planning to follow the knockout rounds closely. If outright winner odds feel too unpredictable, the race for who will win the Golden Boot gives bettors another exciting way to follow the tournament’s biggest forwards.

World Cup 2026 Host Cities and Stadiums

The World Cup 2026 venues are spread across 16 host cities in three countries, making this the most geographically expansive FIFA World Cup ever held. The USA hosts the largest share of matches with 11 venues, while Mexico and Canada each contribute three and two venues respectively.

FIFA has renamed all competition venues for the duration of the tournament to avoid conflicts with naming-rights sponsors. AT&T Stadium in Dallas is referred to as Dallas Stadium in official FIFA communications, and MetLife Stadium becomes New York New Jersey Stadium. Common names are included in the table below for clarity.

UK fans planning to follow matches live should bear in mind the significant time-zone differences. Venues on the US East Coast (New York, Boston, Philadelphia) are five hours behind BST. Central time zone venues (Dallas, Kansas City, Houston) are six hours behind. Mountain and Pacific venues (Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle) are seven to eight hours behind, which pushes late matches well past midnight in the UK.

How to Follow World Cup 2026 Fixtures in the UK

UK readers following the World Cup 2026 fixtures should check kick-off times carefully, because many matches take place across different North American time zones and will kick off late at night or in the early hours of the morning for UK audiences.

BBC Sport and ITV Sport hold the exclusive UK broadcast rights for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Every match is free to air, with no subscription or pay-per-view costs. This is the same arrangement that applied to previous World Cups and means no UK fan needs to pay to watch any match.

Key points for UK viewers:

• All 104 World Cup 2026 matches will be broadcast free on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, and ITV4.
• Streaming is available at no cost through BBC iPlayer and ITVX, both requiring a free account.
• Scotland-specific coverage and selected matches are also available on STV and STV Player.
• England matches will be shown simultaneously across both BBC and ITV, giving viewers a choice of commentary team and studio presentation.
• BST kick-off times range from around 20:00 BST at the early end to as late as 05:00 BST for West Coast USA matches.
• East Coast venues such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia are UTC-4 in summer (five hours behind BST). West Coast venues including Los Angeles and Seattle are UTC-7 (eight hours behind BST).
• Live scores, match alerts, and schedule updates are available through BBC Sport, Sky Sports, and the official FIFA app throughout the tournament.

Important note for UK readers: no UK bookmaker holds live streaming rights for the World Cup 2026. BBC and ITV hold exclusive UK broadcast rights and this content is not available to stream on any betting platform in the UK.

To find out more about following football online, visit our guide to the best football betting sites UK for an overview of the top-rated platforms for UK football fans. Also, before backing any nation outright, it is worth comparing the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 and seeing which teams actually combine squad depth, form, and a kind draw.

Key World Cup 2026 Dates to Know

These are the most important World Cup 2026 dates readers should track throughout the tournament.

Specific kick-off times for knockout rounds will be confirmed by FIFA and UK broadcasters as the tournament progresses. BBC Sport and ITV Sport will publish finalised BST times ahead of each stage.

Toffee’s Take

From an Evertonian’s perspective, there is one name that makes this World Cup appointment viewing: Jordan Pickford. Our goalkeeper, England’s undisputed number one, and the man who will be doing his best to keep Croatia at bay in Dallas on 17 June. If Jarrad Branthwaite makes the final squad despite his injury concerns, we will have two Blues to follow through the tournament.

As a Chelsea fan writing for an Everton site, I will grudgingly admit that Pickford has been one of England’s most consistent performers for years. When England need him, he delivers. Anyone tracking pre-tournament value should also check the latest Bet365 World Cup offer, especially if they want a trusted bookmaker with deep football markets.

World Cup 2026 Fixtures: Frequently Asked Questions