The 2026 World Cup is starting to take shape.
On Friday, Dec. 5, 42 of 48 teams were assigned their group for the global tournament, which will take place across North America in the summer of 2026. In the biggest World Cup ever, every squad found out its potential path to the final at Friday's draw, which took place in Washington D.C.
However, full schedule details were not released by FIFA at the time of the draw. While every team has been placed into its respective group, the final details to know will be when and where each game will take place.
Here's what to know about when the 2026 World Cup Schedule will be released.
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When is the World Cup 2026 schedule revealed?
While the groups were set on Friday, the matchup dates and locations for the World Cup will be released around 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 6.
"The match allocation process that follows the draw aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams while, where possible, enabling fans all over the world to watch their teams play live across different time zones," FIFA said in a statement about the schedule release.
FIFA is set to confirm the full details, including venues and kick-off times, for every match during a live broadcast on Saturday.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:
- Updated FIFA World Rankings
- How World Cup qualifying works
- Explaining the expanded World Cup bracket
- Full list of teams to qualify for 2026 World Cup
How to watch World Cup 2026 schedule reveal
- Stream: FIFA.com, FIFA YouTube Channel
In FIFA's statement about Saturday's schedule release, it said it would air a "live global broadcast" from Washington D.C. The broadcast will be "carried live across FIFA platforms, including FIFA.com and FIFA’s YouTube channel, ensuring that fans across the globe can follow the announcements in real time."
Additionally, FIFA announced that a live broadcast feed will be made available to broadcasters worldwide.
World Cup groups 2026
Here are the full results from the 2026 World Cup drawing.
| Group A | A1: Mexico | A2: South Africa | A3: South Korea | A4: Denmark/ North Macedonia/ Czechia/ Republic of Ireland |
| Group B | B1: Canada | B2: Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales/Bosnia & Herzegovina | B3: Qatar | B4: Switzerland |
| Group C | C1: Brazil | C2: Morocco | C3: Haiti | C4: Scotland |
| Group D | D1: United States | D2: Paraguay | D3: Australia | D4: Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo |
| Group E | E1: Germany | E2: Curacao | E3: Ivory Coast | E4: Ecuador |
| Group F | F1: Netherlands | F2: Japan | F3: Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania | F4: Tunisia |
| Group G | G1: Belgium | G2: Egypt | G3: Iran | G4: New Zealand |
| Group H | H1: Spain | H2: Cape Verde | H3: Saudi Arabia | H4: Uruguay |
| Group I | I1: France | I2: Senegal | I3: Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname | I4: Norway |
| Group J | J1: Argentina | J2: Algeria | J3: Austria | J4: Jordan |
| Group K | K1: Portugal | K2: Jamaica/New Caledonia/DR Congo | K3: Uzbekistan | K4: Colombia |
| Group L | L1: England | L2: Croatia | L3: Ghana | L4: Panama |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group H | Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L
World Cup venues 2026
Here are the venues that will host the World Cup next summer.
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country | World Cup games |
| BC Place | 54,000 | Vancouver (BC) | Canada | 5x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| BMO Field | 45,500 | Toronto (ON) | Canada | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Estadio Azteca | 87,523 | Mexico City | Mexico | 3x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Estadio BBVA | 53,500 | Monterrey | Mexico | 3x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| Estadio Akron | 46,232 | Guadalajara | Mexico | 4x group matches |
| MetLife Stadium | 82,500 | East Rutherford (NJ) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16; final |
| AT&T Stadium | 80,000 | Arlington (TX) | United States | 5x group matches; 2x RO32; 1x RO16; 1x semifinal |
| Arrowhead Stadium | 76,416 | Kansas City (MO) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| NRG Stadium | 72,220 | Houston (TX) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,000 | Atlanta (GA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16; 1x semifinal |
| SoFi Stadium | 70,240 | Inglewood (CA) | United States | 5x group matches; 2x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| Lincoln Financial Field | 69,796 | Philadelphia (PA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO16 |
| Lumen Field | 69,000 | Seattle (WA) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Levi's Stadium | 68,500 | Santa Clara (CA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| Gillette Stadium | 65,878 | Boston (MA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| Hard Rock Stadium | 64,767 | Miami Gardens (FL) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal; bronze-medal match |
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- Future World Cup locations for 2030 and beyond
- Guide to host countries, cities for 2026 World Cup
World Cup bracket 2026
This section will be updated with a full World Cup bracket when it is available.
World Cup schedule 2026
- Group stage: June 11-27
- Round of 32: June 28-July 3
- Round of 16: July 4-7
- Quarterfinals: July 9-11
- Semifinals: July 14-15
- Final: July 19
The 2026 World Cup will last from June 11-July 19, 2026. The first match will be in Mexico City for Mexico's opening group matchup against South Africa.
Group stage matches will last through June 27, followed by the Round of 32 (June 28-July 3) and the Round of 16 (July 4-7), which will be played at stadiums scattered across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
World Cup quarterfinals matches will be played in four U.S. Cities — Los Angeles, Kansas City, Atlanta and Boston — between July 9-11. Dallas and Atlanta will host the semifinals on July 14-15.
The World Cup will conclude July 19 with the final match from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
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) |
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