World Cup 2026 Atlanta: Games, Stadium, Schedule and Tickets
The World Cup 2026 Atlanta is one of the most interesting city-specific stories of the tournament. Atlanta is one of the strongest […]
There are 104 matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. One hundred and four. Even saying it out loud still sounds impossible — a month and a half of football, spread across three countries, 16 stadiums, and 39 days that have already given us records, upsets, and moments no one will forget. And the best part? We’re only halfway through.
Whether you’re trying to plan your viewing schedule, figure out when your team plays next, or just want to know exactly when the final is, this is your complete, up-to-date guide to the World Cup 2026 schedule — every phase, every fixture, every date.
Full World Cup 2026 Match Schedule
Before diving into each stage in detail, here’s the big picture at a glance. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026 — the longest FIFA World Cup in history.
| Stage | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | June 11 – June 27 | 72 |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3 | 16 |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 7 | 8 |
| Quarterfinals | July 9 – July 11 | 4 |
| Semifinals | July 14 – July 15 | 2 |
| Third-Place Match | July 18 | 1 |
| Final | July 19 | 1 |
| Total | 104 |
A note on time zones: the 2026 World Cup spans three countries and multiple time zones, so kickoff times vary depending on the venue. All times in this guide are given in ET (Eastern Time) unless otherwise noted. For reference, ET is UTC–4 during daylight saving time.
Group Stage Fixtures
The group stage is the foundation of the whole tournament. 48 teams play across 12 groups from June 11 to June 27, and every single game matters — because finishing first, second, or even a strong third can make the difference between going home and advancing to the Round of 32.
How It Works
Each of the 12 groups contains four teams. Every team plays three matches — one against each of the other three teams in their group. Points are awarded as always: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss. The top two in each group go through automatically. The eight best third-place finishers across all 12 groups also advance. That means 32 teams make it out of the group stage.
Matchday 1 — June 11–17
The tournament kicked off on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where co-host Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 in front of a packed, electric crowd. Here are all 24 first-round fixtures:
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11 | Mexico vs South Africa | 2–0 | Mexico City |
| Jun 11 | South Korea vs Czech Republic | 2–1 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| Jun 12 | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 1–1 | Toronto |
| Jun 12 | USA vs Paraguay | 4–1 | Los Angeles |
| Jun 13 | Switzerland vs Qatar | 1–1 | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Jun 13 | Brazil vs Morocco | 1–1 | Miami |
| Jun 13 | Scotland vs Haiti | 1–0 | Boston |
| Jun 13 | Australia vs Türkiye | 2–0 | Kansas City |
| Jun 14 | Germany vs Curaçao | 7–1 | Philadelphia |
| Jun 14 | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 1–0 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jun 14 | Netherlands vs Japan | 2–2 | Atlanta |
| Jun 14 | Sweden vs Tunisia | 5–1 | Kansas City |
| Jun 15 | Belgium vs Egypt | 1–1 | Seattle |
| Jun 15 | Iran vs New Zealand | 2–2 | Vancouver |
| Jun 15 | Spain vs Cabo Verde | 0–0 | Houston |
| Jun 15 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 1–1 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| Jun 16 | France vs Senegal | 3–1 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jun 16 | Norway vs Iraq | 4–1 | Toronto |
| Jun 16 | Argentina vs Algeria | 3–0 | Kansas City |
| Jun 17 | Austria vs Jordan | 3–1 | Dallas |
| Jun 17 | Portugal vs DR Congo | 1–1 | Houston |
| Jun 17 | Colombia vs Uzbekistan | 3–1 | Atlanta |
| Jun 17 | England vs Croatia | 4–2 | Dallas |
| Jun 17 | Ghana vs Panama | 1–0 | Philadelphia |
That opening week gave us everything: a Germany 7–1 demolition, Messi’s Argentina making an immediate statement, an immediate shock with Spain held by Cabo Verde, and enough draws to make half the groups genuinely unpredictable.
Matchday 2 — June 18–23
The second round of fixtures raised the stakes further. Teams that stumbled in matchday one came out swinging. Norway beat Senegal 3–2 to go alongside France at the top of Group I. Portugal put five past Uzbekistan. England drew 0–0 with Ghana and raised a few eyebrows. And Messi against Austria — but you know how that one ended.
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18 | Czech Republic vs South Africa | 1–1 | Atlanta |
| Jun 18 | Mexico vs South Korea | 1–0 | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Jun 18 | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 4–1 | Los Angeles |
| Jun 18 | Canada vs Qatar | 6–0 | Vancouver |
| Jun 19 | Scotland vs Morocco | 0–1 | Boston |
| Jun 19 | Brazil vs Haiti | 3–0 | Philadelphia |
| Jun 19 | USA vs Australia | 2–0 | Seattle |
| Jun 19 | Türkiye vs Paraguay | 0–1 | Dallas |
| Jun 20 | Germany vs Ivory Coast | 2–1 | Houston |
| Jun 20 | Ecuador vs Curaçao | 0–0 | Miami |
| Jun 20 | Netherlands vs Sweden | 5–1 | Los Angeles |
| Jun 20 | Japan vs Tunisia | 4–0 | Kansas City |
| Jun 21 | Belgium vs Iran | 0–0 | Los Angeles |
| Jun 21 | Egypt vs New Zealand | 3–1 | Vancouver |
| Jun 21 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 4–0 | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Jun 21 | Uruguay vs Cabo Verde | 2–2 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| Jun 22 | France vs Iraq | 3–0 | Philadelphia |
| Jun 22 | Norway vs Senegal | 3–2 | Toronto |
| Jun 22 | Argentina vs Austria | 2–0 | Dallas |
| Jun 22 | Algeria vs Jordan | 2–1 | Kansas City |
| Jun 23 | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 5–0 | Houston |
| Jun 23 | Colombia vs DR Congo | 1–0 | Atlanta |
| Jun 23 | England vs Ghana | 0–0 | Miami |
| Jun 23 | Croatia vs Panama | 1–0 | Toronto |
Matchday 3 — June 24–27
The final group-stage fixtures are where it all comes together. All four teams in each group play simultaneously on matchday 3 — meaning nothing can be manipulated, and everyone finds out at the same time. Some groups are already decided. Others go to the wire.
June 24–25 (Groups A, B, C, E, F, D):
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | Mexico vs Czech Republic | 3–0 | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Jun 24 | South Africa vs South Korea | 1–0 | Atlanta |
| Jun 24 | Switzerland vs Canada | 2–1 | Vancouver |
| Jun 24 | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | 3–1 | Seattle |
| Jun 24 | Brazil vs Scotland | 3–0 | Miami |
| Jun 24 | Morocco vs Haiti | 4–2 | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Jun 25 | Ecuador vs Germany | 2–1 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jun 25 | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 0–2 | Philadelphia |
| Jun 25 | Japan vs Sweden | 1–1 | Dallas |
| Jun 25 | Tunisia vs Netherlands | 1–3 | Kansas City |
| Jun 25 | Türkiye vs USA | 3–2 | Los Angeles |
| Jun 25 | Paraguay vs Australia | 0–0 | San Francisco Bay Area |
June 26–27 (Groups G, H, I, J, K, L):
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 26 | Egypt vs Iran | Seattle |
| Jun 26 | New Zealand vs Belgium | Vancouver |
| Jun 26 | Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia | Houston |
| Jun 26 | Uruguay vs Spain | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| Jun 26 | Norway vs France | Boston |
| Jun 26 | Senegal vs Iraq | Toronto |
| Jun 27 | Algeria vs Austria | Kansas City |
| Jun 27 | Jordan vs Argentina | Dallas |
| Jun 27 | Colombia vs Portugal | Miami |
| Jun 27 | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | Atlanta |
| Jun 27 | Panama vs England | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jun 27 | Croatia vs Ghana | Philadelphia |
Round of 32 Fixtures
This is brand new. Never before in World Cup history has there been a Round of 32 — it’s the 2026 World Cup’s most significant format change, and it gives 32 nations the chance to compete in the knockout rounds. No more heartbreaking exits purely at the group stage for a team that finished third in a tough group. If you’re good enough, you get another shot.
The Round of 32 runs from June 28 to July 3, with matchups determined by group finishes and the bracket structure. The specific opponents for teams that advanced as third-place finishers won’t be confirmed until the final group games are played.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 28 | South Africa vs Canada | Los Angeles |
| Jun 29 | Brazil vs Runner-up F | Houston |
| Jun 29 | Germany vs Best 3rd (A/B/C/D/F) | Boston |
| Jun 30 | Winner F vs Morocco | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Jun 30 | Runner-up E vs Runner-up I | Dallas |
| Jun 30 | Winner I vs Best 3rd (C/D/F/G/H) | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jul 1 | Mexico vs Best 3rd (C/E/F/H/I) | Mexico City |
| Jul 1 | Winner L vs Best 3rd (E/H/I/J/K) | Atlanta |
| Jul 1 | Winner G vs Best 3rd (A/E/H/I/J) | Seattle |
| Jul 1 | USA vs Best 3rd (B/E/F/I/J) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Jul 2 | Winner H vs Runner-up J | Los Angeles |
| Jul 2 | Runner-up K vs Runner-up L | Toronto |
| Jul 2 | Switzerland vs Best 3rd (E/F/G/I/J) | Vancouver |
| Jul 3 | Runner-up D vs Runner-up G | Dallas |
| Jul 3 | Argentina vs Runner-up H | Miami |
| Jul 3 | Winner K vs Best 3rd (D/E/I/J/L) | Kansas City |
One matchup already guaranteed to fire up fans: Argentina vs the runner-up of Group H in Miami on July 3. And with Messi on 5 goals and counting in this tournament, the Hard Rock Stadium crowd is going to be something else.
Round of 16 Fixtures
The Round of 16 takes place from July 4 to July 7, and for the first time in this tournament, all matches from this point on are played exclusively in the United States. The venues get bigger, the stakes get higher, and the games get tighter.
Note that specific matchups here depend entirely on who comes through the Round of 32, so team names below are listed by bracket positions.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 4 | Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 | Houston |
| Jul 4 | Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 | Philadelphia |
| Jul 5 | Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 | East Rutherford, NJ |
| Jul 5 | Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 | Mexico City |
| Jul 6 | Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 | Dallas |
| Jul 6 | Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 | Seattle |
| Jul 7 | Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 | Atlanta |
| Jul 7 | Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 | Vancouver |
July 4 carries extra weight this year — two World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and NRG Stadium in Houston will double as celebrations of the United States Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of American independence. It’s going to be a day like no other.
Quarter-Finals
Four matches. Eight teams. July 9 to July 11, played at some of the most iconic venues in American sport. By this stage, the tournament’s narrative is in full flow — upsets have happened, favorites are under pressure, and every game feels like it could define a generation.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 9 | QF1: R16 winners | Boston (Gillette Stadium) |
| Jul 10 | QF2: R16 winners | Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium) |
| Jul 10 | QF3: R16 winners | Miami (Hard Rock Stadium) |
| Jul 11 | QF4: R16 winners | Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium) |
The quarterfinals are where World Cups truly live or die. Think back to Argentina vs France in Qatar — or Germany’s 7–1 over Brazil in 2014. The stage is set for moments like those again.
Semi-Finals
Two matches. July 14 and July 15. Only four teams left in the world. The venues for the semifinals are two of the most spectacular in the tournament.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 14 | Semi-Final 1: QF1 winner vs QF2 winner | Dallas (AT&T Stadium) |
| Jul 15 | Semi-Final 2: QF3 winner vs QF4 winner | Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) |
AT&T Stadium in Dallas — also known as Jerry’s World — can hold over 80,000 fans and already witnessed Messi’s record-breaking brace against Austria in the group stage. Whatever happens there in the semifinal, the atmosphere will be something else.
Third-Place Match
For the two teams whose World Cup dreams didn’t quite make it to the final — there’s still one last shot at glory, and the bronze medal is nothing to be sniffed at.
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| July 18 | Third-Place Play-Off | Miami, Hard Rock Stadium |
The third-place match takes place on July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami — the day before the final. It’s often described as a consolation match, but for the players and fans involved, it’s a chance to end the tournament on a positive note and take home a medal.
Final
Sunday, July 19, 2026.
Mark it down. Circle it in red. It’s the date the whole tournament has been building toward.
| Date | Match | Venue | Kickoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 19 | World Cup Final | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ | 8:00 PM ET |
MetLife Stadium — officially rebranded as the “New York New Jersey Stadium” for the duration of the tournament — sits just 12 miles from Manhattan and holds 82,500 fans. It is the largest stadium in this entire World Cup, and FIFA confirmed it as the final venue back in February 2024. The stadium will also host the trophy presentation, conducted in the presence of US President Donald Trump, as confirmed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Whoever wins on July 19 will have played eight matches to get there — more than any previous World Cup winner in history, due to the new Round of 32. That extra game adds a layer of physical endurance that could define the outcome as much as quality alone.
How to Read the World Cup 2026 Schedule
If you’re new to following a tournament like this — or just finding it hard to keep up with the expanded format — here’s everything you need to know to make sense of the schedule.
The bracket system: FIFA has structured the 2026 knockout bracket using a two-pathway design. The top four seeds (Spain, Argentina, France, and England) are placed in separate parts of the bracket, meaning they can only meet in the semifinals or final — if they all get that far. This was done deliberately to protect those anticipated final showdowns.
Third-place team selection: The eight best third-place teams are ranked after all group games are complete. The ranking goes by: points → goal difference → goals scored → fair play score → FIFA ranking. The specific Round of 32 matchups for third-place teams depend on which groups they came from — FIFA published all 495 possible combinations in the tournament regulations.
Extra time and penalties: From the Round of 32 onward, any match level after 90 minutes goes to 30 minutes of extra time (two halves of 15 minutes). If still tied, it goes to a penalty shootout. There are no away goals or any other tiebreakers — just extra time and then pens.
Hydration breaks: New for 2026, FIFA introduced mandatory 3-minute hydration breaks in every half of every match. These pauses — introduced because of the summer heat in venues across the American South and Mexico — give broadcasters a commercial slot and players a chance to cool down. Don’t be alarmed when play stops temporarily in the middle of a half.
Venue name changes: FIFA has rebranded all stadiums with host city names for the duration of the tournament to avoid commercial conflicts. MetLife Stadium is “New York New Jersey Stadium.” SoFi Stadium is “Los Angeles Stadium.” AT&T Stadium is “Dallas Stadium.” The facilities are the same — just the names on the signage have changed.
Times across time zones: With matches in Vancouver (PT), Kansas City (CT), New York (ET), and Mexico City (CST), kickoff times can be confusing. The best rule of thumb: check the ET time and adjust. PT is ET minus 3 hours. CT is ET minus 1 hour.
World Cup 2026 Schedule FAQ
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup began on June 11, 2026, with Mexico vs South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
When does the 2026 World Cup end?
The final is on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
How many matches are in the 2026 World Cup schedule?
There are 104 matches in total — 72 in the group stage and 32 in the knockout rounds (including the third-place match and final).
What is the World Cup 2026 group stage schedule?
The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27. It features 72 matches across 12 groups, with 48 teams playing three matches each.
When does the Round of 32 start at the 2026 World Cup?
The Round of 32 begins on June 28, with the first match being South Africa vs Canada in Los Angeles.
When is the World Cup 2026 final?
The World Cup 2026 final is on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 8:00 PM ET.
Where can I watch the 2026 World Cup in the USA?
All matches are available on FOX and FS1 in English. Spanish-language coverage is on Telemundo and Universo. Streaming is available via the FOX One app and Peacock (en Español).
How many days does the 2026 World Cup last?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup lasts 39 days — the longest edition in the tournament’s history.
What time do most World Cup 2026 matches kick off?
Group-stage kickoff times vary between noon and 10 PM ET depending on the venue and day. The most common slots are 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM ET.
When do the World Cup 2026 quarterfinals take place?
The quarterfinals are scheduled for July 9, 10, and 11, 2026, at stadiums in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kansas City.
When are the World Cup 2026 semifinals?
The two semifinals take place on July 14 (AT&T Stadium, Dallas) and July 15 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta).
Last updated: June 25, 2026. Group stage matchday 3 fixtures marked as TBD will be updated once results are confirmed. Knockout stage matchups will be updated as teams advance.
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