The World Cup is going big for the 2026 edition of soccer’s most illustrious tournament.
FIFA has decided to expand the World Cup field, while returning to North America for the very first edition of the competition to be hosted across three countries.
Held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the 2026 tournament will be contested by 48 teams, making this the biggest World Cup ever. The U.S. and Mexico are hosting for the second time: the former staged the 1994 edition, while both the 1970 and 1986 finals took place in Mexico. For Canada, staging World Cup matches is a whole new experience.
The draw for the group stage is held on December 5, at which point all qualified nations will learn their opponents and potential path to the final. The precise date and times of all games will be announced the next day.
Below, The Sporting News will bring you an overview of the schedule, with results, kickoff times, venues, and highlights of all matches as they take place.
MORE: All selected FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities and match venues
World Cup 2026 tournament format
The 2026 World Cup will be the first of the new expanded era of the competition. It will feature a 48-team field, with all competing nations beginning in the group stage.
At the draw, the teams are separated into 12 four-team groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stage automatically. In addition, the top eight third-place finishers will also progress to the knockouts.
MORE: When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw?
From there, the 32-team knockout stage begins, in traditional single-elimination format. The third-place finishers are all matched up against group winners, with a restriction that no group-stage rematches can take place in the Round of 32.
The eventual semifinalists will play eight matches each: three in the group stage, and five in the knockouts (Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and either the final or third-place playoff match).
Complete World Cup 2026 match schedule
The FIFA World Cup draw will be held on December 5, 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
It will be there that the teams are distributed across the 12 groups and their pathways to a potential final are made clear.
The hosts have already been pre-assigned certain places in the group stage: Mexico are in Group A, Canada Group B, and the USA in Group D. Additionally, new rules dictate that the world’s top-four sides according to the FIFA rankings — Spain, Argentina, France and England — will be on opposite sides of the bracket so they cannot meet until the latter stages.
World Cup 2026 group stage
Group A table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | A2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | A3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | A4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group A fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jun. 11 | Mexico vs. A2 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) | |
| Thu, Jun. 11 | A3 vs. A4 | Estadio Akron (Zapopan, MEX) | |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | A4 vs. A2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) | |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | Mexico vs. A3 | Estadio Akron (Zapopan, MEX) | |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | A4 vs. Mexico | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) | |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | A2 vs. A3 | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
Group B table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | B2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | B3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | B4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Fri, Jun. 12 | Canada vs. B2 | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) | |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | B3 vs. B4 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) | |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | B4 vs. B2 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) | |
| Thu, Jun. 18 | Canada vs. B3 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) | |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | B4 vs. Canada | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) | |
| Wed, Jun. 24 | B2 vs. B3 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
Group C table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | C1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | C2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | C3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | C4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group C fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 13 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 19 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 19 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) | ||
| Wed, Jun. 24 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ||
| Wed, Jun. 24 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Group D table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | D2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | D3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | D4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group D fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Fri, Jun. 12 | United States vs. D2 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) | |
| Sat, Jun. 13 | D3 vs. D4 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) | |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | D4 vs. D2 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) | |
| Fri, Jun. 19 | United States vs. D3 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) | |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | D4 vs. United States | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) | |
| Thu, Jun. 25 | D2 vs. D3 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
Group E table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | E1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | E2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | E3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | E4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group E fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 14 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 20 | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 20 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) | ||
| Thu, Jun. 25 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
| Thu, Jun. 25 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
Group F table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | F1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | F2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | F3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | F4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 14 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 14 | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 20 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 20 | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) | ||
| Thu, Jun. 25 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) | ||
| Thu, Jun. 25 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Group G table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | G1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | G2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | G3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | G4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group G fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 15 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 21 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 21 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Group H table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | H1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | H2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | H3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | H4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group H fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 15 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 21 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ||
| Sun, Jun. 21 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | Estadio Akron (Zapopan, MEX) |
Group I table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | I1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | I2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | I3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | I4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group I fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 16 | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 22 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 22 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 26 | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
Group J table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | J1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | J2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | J3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | J4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group J fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jun. 16 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 16 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 22 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) | ||
| Mon, Jun. 22 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Group K table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | K1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | K2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | K3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | K4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group K fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Fri, Jun. 17 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 17 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 23 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 23 | Estadio Akron (Zapopan, MEX) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Group L table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | L1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | L2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | L3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | L4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group L fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Fri, Jun. 17 | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) | ||
| Fri, Jun. 17 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 23 | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | ||
| Tue, Jun. 23 | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) | ||
| Sat, Jun. 27 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
Ranking of third-place finishers
The top eight third-place finishers will qualify for the knockout stage, while the bottom four will be eliminated.
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12. | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
World Cup 2026 knockout stage
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
