The schedule for the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup was released on Saturday, revealing the matchups and locations for this monumental event. The tournament will feature a total of 104 matches across 16 cities, with the majority taking place in the United States, which will host 78 games. Mexico and Canada will contribute three and two matches, respectively.
The U.S. cities selected to host matches include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. The World Cup final is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ensuring prime-time viewing in Europe and the UK.
The schedule announcement followed a draw that took place on Friday, attended by notable figures including former U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. According to FIFA, the organization aimed to optimize travel and broadcast considerations while finalizing the schedule. Chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria noted, “We’ve tried to basically strike the right balance looking at the preparation, the recovery that the teams have to do in this very large footprint.”
As of now, the final six teams out of a total of 48 have yet to be determined, but the stage is set for an exciting tournament.
USA’s Group Matches and Schedule
The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) will play at least three group stage matches in June. They are set to face Australia, Paraguay, and the winner of UEFA playoff C, which includes teams like Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo. The final playoff matches will conclude in March 2026.
The first match for the USA is scheduled for June 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where they will take on Paraguay at 6 p.m. local time. A week later, the team will face Australia in Seattle at noon, followed by a match against the UEFA playoff winner on June 25 at 7 p.m. back in Los Angeles.
Complete Group Stage Schedule
The tournament will commence on June 11, 2026, with co-host Mexico playing the opening match against South Africa in Mexico City. The following day, both the USA and Canada will begin their group stage matches. The complete schedule for the group stage is as follows:
June 11, 2026
Mexico vs. South Africa – Mexico City
South Korea vs. UEFA playoff D – Guadalajara
June 12, 2026
Canada vs. UEFA playoff A – Toronto
USA vs. Paraguay – Los Angeles
June 13, 2026
Brazil vs. Morocco – New York/New Jersey
Australia vs. UEFA playoff C – Vancouver
Haiti vs. Scotland – Boston
Qatar vs. Switzerland – San Francisco Bay Area
June 14, 2026
Germany vs. Curacao – Houston
Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador – Philadelphia
Netherlands vs. Japan – Dallas
UEFA playoff B vs. Tunisia – Monterrey
June 15, 2026
Spain vs. Cape Verde – Atlanta
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay – Miami
Belgium vs. Egypt – Seattle
Iran vs. New Zealand – Los Angeles
June 16, 2026
France vs. Senegal – New York/New Jersey
FIFA playoff 2 vs. Norway – Boston
Argentina vs. Algeria – Kansas City
Austria vs. Jordan – San Francisco Bay Area
June 17, 2026
England vs. Croatia – Toronto or Dallas
Ghana vs. Panama – Toronto or Dallas
Portugal vs. FIFA playoff 1 – Houston or Mexico City
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia – Houston or Mexico City
June 18, 2026
UEFA playoff D vs. South Africa – Atlanta
Switzerland vs. UEFA playoff A – Los Angeles
Canada vs. Qatar – Vancouver
Mexico vs. South Korea – Guadalajara
June 19, 2026
Brazil vs. Haiti – Philadelphia
Scotland vs. Morocco – Boston
UEFA playoff C vs. Paraguay – San Francisco Bay Area
USA vs. Australia – Seattle
June 20, 2026
Germany vs. Ivory Coast – Toronto
Ecuador vs. Curacao – Kansas City
Netherlands vs. UEFA playoff B – Houston
Tunisia vs. Japan – Monterrey
June 21, 2026
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia – Atlanta
Uruguay vs. Cape Verde – Miami
Belgium vs. Iran – Los Angeles
New Zealand vs. Egypt – Vancouver
June 22, 2026
France vs. FIFA playoff 2 – Philadelphia
Norway vs. Senegal – New York/New Jersey
Argentina vs. Austria – Dallas
Jordan vs. Algeria – San Francisco Bay Area
June 23, 2026
England vs. Ghana – Boston
Panama vs. Croatia – Toronto
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan – Houston
Colombia vs. FIFA playoff 1 – Guadalajara
June 24, 2026
Scotland vs. Brazil – Miami
Morocco vs. Haiti – Atlanta
Canada vs. Switzerland – Vancouver
UEFA playoff A vs. Qatar – Seattle
Mexico vs. UEFA playoff D – Mexico City
South Korea vs. South Africa – Monterrey
June 25, 2026
Ecuador vs. Germany – New York/New Jersey
Curacao vs. Ivory Coast – Philadelphia
Tunisia vs. Netherlands – Kansas City
Japan vs. UEFA playoff B – Dallas
USA vs. UEFA playoff C – Los Angeles
Paraguay vs. Australia – San Francisco Bay Area
June 26, 2026
Norway vs. France – Boston
Senegal vs. FIFA playoff 2 – Toronto
New Zealand vs. Belgium – Vancouver
Egypt vs. Iran – Seattle
Uruguay vs. Spain – Guadalajara
Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia – Houston
June 27, 2026
Panama vs. England – New York/New Jersey
Croatia vs. Ghana – Philadelphia
Jordan vs. Argentina – Dallas
Algeria vs. Austria – Kansas City
Colombia vs. Portugal – Miami
FIFA playoff 1 vs. Uzbekistan – Atlanta
The knockout stages will begin shortly after, culminating in the final on July 19, 2026. This tournament marks a significant moment in soccer history, bringing together teams and fans from across the globe, and will be the largest World Cup to date.
