Following a dazzling Final Draw that revealed who will play who, fans of the 42 qualified teams – and the 22 still in contention for the remaining six slots – have now discovered when and where their FIFA World Cup dream begins. In a live broadcast from Washington, D.C. featuring FIFA Legends Ronaldo Nazário, Francesco Totti, Hristo Stoichkov and Alexi Lalas, FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled the tournament’s updated match schedule, designed to offer the best possible conditions for teams, spectators and fans following their nations around the world.
Hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA – the only sides that already knew their match venues – learned their opponents and kick-off times within the past 24 hours. El Tri will kick off the first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup against South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on Thursday, 11 June, at 13:00 local time (21:00 CET). In a match charged with passion and energy, the country is set to come to a standstill as the two sides recreate the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ – with coaches Javier Aguirre (Mexico) and Hugo Broos (South Africa, a former Belgian international) meeting again on the world stage after their clash at the 1986 FIFA World Cup at the very same venue.
The following day, Canada will be swept by excitement as they host the winner of the European play-off between Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto at 15:00 local time (21:00 CET). That energy will carry across the continent as the USA begin their home campaign in Los Angeles with their first official meeting against Paraguay at 18:00 local time (03:00 CET, and 22:00 in Asunción), a moment to stir emotions from coast to coast.
Among the standout group-stage fixtures, the European clash in Group L between England and Croatia – a reprise of their dramatic 2018 semi-final – will take place at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, 17 June, at 15:00 local time (22:00 CET). The retractable-roofed and climatised venue will ensure comfortable conditions for teams and spectators alike, while enabling fans across Europe to follow the action live. A similar approach was taken for match 10: legendary Dutch coach Dick Advocaat will lead Curaçao – the smallest country ever to feature at a FIFA World Cup – to its global debut against four-time winners Germany at the state-of-the-art Houston Stadium on Sunday, 14 June, at 12:00 local time (19:00 CET, and 13:00 in Willemstad).
Another marquee encounter will see Brazil and Morocco meet on Saturday, 13 June, at New York New Jersey Stadium at 18:00 local time (00:00 CET, 19:00 in Brasília and 23:00 in Rabat) – a match that promises to captivate the entire tri-state region. Monterrey will also make history on Saturday, 20 June, when it hosts the 1,000th FIFA World Cup match, which will see Tunisia take on Japan – another rematch from the FIFA World Cup 2022™, when a win sent Japan into the knockout stage for the first time ever. That match will kick off at 22:00 local time (06:00 CET, 05:00 in Tunis and 13.00 in Tokyo).
How was the match schedule developed?
Since the publication of the first version in February 2024, the FIFA World Cup match schedule has been designed to minimise travel for teams and fans, and to maximise rest days between matches for all participating teams. The now-finalised allocation of venues and kick-off times aims to optimise welfare conditions for players and supporters, while enabling the widest possible global audience to follow their teams across different time zones.
This complex exercise included a technical analysis of all venues – from average temperatures and cooling infrastructure to public transport and security – as well as collaborative discussions between various FIFA functional areas, including competition management, team services, medical, TV and broadcasting, and ticketing.
The final version of the match schedule will be confirmed in March, once the FIFA and European play-offs have taken place and the remaining six tournament berths have been decided.
Those eager to secure their seats can now purchase hospitality packages, including match tickets, at FIFA.com/hospitality through On Location, the Official Hospitality Provider of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. All-inclusive travel packages are also currently on sale with FIFA Partner Qatar Airways. The next phase of ticket sales for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Random Selection Draw, will open on Thursday, 11 December. Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, 13 January via FIFA.com/tickets.
via fifa.com
