The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage schedule is crucial for football fans, as it provides precise dates for upcoming matches. Tracking the schedule is essential, as the 2026 World Cup is expected to be the most competitive tournament ever held.
SportPesa presents the group stage schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This competition features 48 teams, and the group stage serves as the opening round. In this stage, teams compete in a round-robin format, with a victory earning 3 points. As confirmed by the FIFA Council, the two top teams from each of the 12 groups advance to the round of 32. Join us as we examine these 12 groups.
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Overview of the group stage schedule
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament | 2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage |
| Host Countries | Canada, Mexico, and the United States |
| Total Teams | 48 teams |
| Group Structure | 12 groups consisting of 4 teams each |
| Total Group Stage Matches | 72 matches |
| Match Format | Each team plays 3 matches, facing every other team in its group once |
| Qualification for the Round of 32 | The top 2 teams from each group (24 teams), plus the 8 best third-placed teams |
| Opening Match | Mexico vs. South Africa |
| Opening Match Date | Thursday, June 11, 2026 |
| Opening Venue | Mexico City Stadium |
| Group Stage Duration | June 11–27, 2026 |
| Daily Schedule | Multiple matches are played each day across 16 host cities. |
| Host Cities | 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States |
| Final Group Stage Matches | Saturday, June 27, 2026 |
| Next Stage | Expanded Round of 32 begins after the group stage concludes. |
Tournament duration and key dates
The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11, 2026, and concludes with the final on July 19, 2026. This landmark, 48-team tournament features 104 matches over 39 days. Matches will be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico—78 games in the United States and 13 each in Canada and Mexico. The opening match takes place at Estadio Azteca, Mexico, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. The table below outlines World Cup group stage kickoff times, tournament phases, and the final.
| Stage | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Match | June 11, 2026 | June 11, 2026 |
| Group Stage | June 11, 2026 | June 28, 2026 |
| Round of 32 | June 29, 2026 | July 3, 2026 |
| Round of 16 | July 4, 2026 | July 7, 2026 |
| Quarter-finals | July 9, 2026 | July 11, 2026 |
| Semi-finals | July 14, 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
| Third-Place Match | July 18, 2026 | July 18, 2026 |
| World Cup Final | July 19, 2026 | July 19, 2026 |
Full FIFA World Cup group stage schedule 2026
There are 12 groups of 4 teams each in the 2026 group stage, with 72 scheduled games. This section covers each match’s date and time, presenting group fixtures from A through L.
Group A fixtures
With all the games being played in Mexico, this group consists of Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia. Below is a table showing the fixtures of this group.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. | Mexico vs. South Africa | Mexico City Stadium (Mexico City) |
| Friday, June 12, 2026 | 3:00 a.m. | South Korea vs. Czechia | Guadalajara Stadium (Guadalajara) |
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Czechia vs. South Africa | Atlanta Stadium (Atlanta) |
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. | Mexico vs. South Korea | Guadalajara Stadium (Guadalajara) |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. | Czechia vs. Mexico | Mexico City Stadium (Mexico City) |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 9:00 p.m. | South Africa vs. South Korea | Monterrey Stadium (Monterrey) |
Group B fixtures
Matches in this group run from June 12, 2026, to June 24, 2026, and are hosted in Vancouver, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Seattle. Competing national teams are Canada, Bosnia, Qatar, and Herzegovina. The table below lists Group B fixtures.
| Date | Time (PT) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Saturday, June 13, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Qatar vs. Switzerland | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. | Canada vs. Qatar | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Qatar | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. | Switzerland vs. Canada | BC Place, Vancouver |
Group C fixtures
The competing teams are Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. Matches will take place in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Miami. The table below details the group’s fixtures.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, June 13, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Brazil vs. Morocco | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Saturday, June 13, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Haiti vs. Scotland | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| Thursday, June 19, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Scotland vs. Morocco | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| Thursday, June 19, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Brazil vs. Haiti | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Scotland vs. Brazil | Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Morocco vs. Haiti | Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia |
Group D fixtures
This group includes the United States, Australia, Paraguay, and Turkey, with matches in major cities across Canada and the United States. The fixture table below shows all scheduled games.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12, 2026 | 9:00 PM | United States vs. Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California |
| Saturday, June 13, 2026 (June 14 ET) | 12:00 AM | Australia vs. Türkiye | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada |
| Friday, June 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM | United States vs. Australia | Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington |
| Friday, June 19, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Türkiye vs. Paraguay | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium), California |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Türkiye vs. United States | Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Paraguay vs. Australia | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium), California |
Group E fixtures
Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Germany, and Ecuador will compete in this group. Matches will be played in stadiums across the United States and Canada. Below is a table listing fixtures for this group.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Germany vs. Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 4:00 PM | Germany vs. Ivory Coast | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Ecuador vs. Curaçao | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | TBC | Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast | TBC |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | TBC | Ecuador vs. Germany | TBC |
Group F fixtures
Played in the USA and Mexico, this group features the Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, and Sweden. Matches start on June 14, 2026, and end on June 25, 2026. The table below shows all matches in this group.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 4:00 PM | Netherlands vs. Japan | Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Sweden vs. Tunisia | Monterrey Stadium, Guadalupe, Mexico |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Netherlands vs. Sweden | Houston Stadium, Houston, Texas |
| Sunday, June 21, 2026 | 12:00 AM | Tunisia vs. Japan | Monterrey Stadium, Guadalupe, Mexico |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs. Sweden | Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Tunisia vs. Netherlands | Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri |
Group G fixtures
This group features Belgium, Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand, with games running from June 15, 2026, to June 26, 2026. The table below provides dates, venues, and match times.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM | IR Iran vs. New Zealand | Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood |
| Monday, June 15, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Belgium vs. Egypt | Seattle Stadium, Seattle |
| Sunday, June 21, 2026 | 3:00 PM | Belgium vs. IR Iran | Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sunday, June 21, 2026 | 9:00 PM | New Zealand vs. Egypt | Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood |
| Friday, June 26, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Egypt vs. IR Iran | To Be Determined |
| Friday, June 26, 2026 | 8:00 PM | New Zealand vs. Belgium | To Be Determined |
Group H fixtures
Group H consists of Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia. Matches will be played in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and Guadalajara. Below is an overview of fixtures, dates, and venues.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2026 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs. Cape Verde | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 15, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| June 21, 2026 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| June 21, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Uruguay vs. Cape Verde | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| June 26, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| June 26, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Uruguay vs. Spain | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
Group I fixtures
The national teams in this group are France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway. They are set to play between June 26 and June 23 2026. Below is a table showing the fixtures of this group.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 3:00 PM | France vs. Senegal | Not Specified |
| Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Iraq vs. Norway | Not Specified |
| Monday, June 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM | France vs. Iraq | Not Specified |
| Monday, June 22, 2026 | 8:00 PM | Norway vs. Senegal | Not Specified |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 9:00 PM | France vs. Iraq | Philadelphia Stadium |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 12:00 AM | Norway vs. Senegal | New York/New Jersey Stadium |
Group J fixtures
The participants are Algeria, Austria, Argentina, and Jordan. The group is set to play between 16th June and 22nd June 2026. Below is a table showing the matches, dates, and the various venues where the games will be played.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 9:00 PM | Argentina vs. Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 12:00 AM | Austria vs. Jordan | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Monday, June 22, 2026 | 12:00 PM | Argentina vs. Austria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 3:00 AM | Jordan vs. Algeria | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | TBD | Group Finale Match A | Kansas City / Dallas (TBD) |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | TBD | Group Finale Match B | Kansas City / Dallas (TBD) |
Group K fixtures
The second-to-last group, with Colombia, Portugal, the DRC Congo, and Uzbekistan as participants. The games will be played between June 17th and June 27th 2026. Below is a table showing the details of when, where, and which teams will play each other.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Portugal vs. DR Congo | NRG Stadium, Houston, USA |
| Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 1:00 PM | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan | NRG Stadium, Houston, USA |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 10:00 PM | Colombia vs. DR Congo | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, México |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Colombia vs. Portugal | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | 7:30 PM | DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA |
Group L fixtures
England, Croatia, Panama, and Ghana are the national teams in this group. Their matches, played across major cities in the United States, are set to begin on June 17th, 2026, and continue through June 27th, 2026. Below is a table showing the fixtures of this group.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, June 17, 2026 | TBD | Panama vs. Ghana | To be communicated |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 4:00 PM | England vs. Ghana | Boston Stadium, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 7:00 PM | Panama vs. Croatia | Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Ontario |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | 5:00 PM | Panama vs. England | New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | 5:00 PM | Croatia vs. Ghana | Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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Future changes to tournament scheduling
Set to run from June 8 to July 21st, 2030, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be the first to be hosted across three continents. The continents are Africa, Europe, and South America. With the same 48-team, 104-game structure, it will be the first of its kind to be hosted across six countries. The host countries will be Morocco, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Portugal. The table below presents the future trends for the 2030 World Cup.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Tournament | 2030 FIFA World Cup |
| Tournament Dates | June 8 – July 21, 2030 |
| Total Duration | 44 Days |
| Total Teams | 48 |
| Total Matches | 104 |
| Primary Host Countries | Morocco, Portugal, and Spain |
| Centenary Match Hosts | Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay |
| Total Host Countries | 6 (six) |
| Continents Hosting Matches | Europe, Africa, and South America |
| Tournament Format | 48 teams competing in an expanded World Cup format across 104 matches |
| Special Significance | Celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 |
| Official Opening Ceremony | June 13–14, 2030 — Opening ceremony and opening games in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain |
| Group Stage | June 15–21, 2030 — Group stage matches played across the primary host nations |
| Knockout Stages | June 22–July 20, 2030 — Round of 32 through Semi-finals |
| FIFA World Cup Final | July 21, 2030 — Championship match of the tournament |
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Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage matches Live.
Watching the World Cup can be done either from the game’s location or through streaming. Going to the venue, one needs World Cup 2026 tickets and schedule updates from the hosting venue. The other way is very simple: watching the games in real time from Tanzania. Azam TV and DStv will be streaming the games live. It’s simple to follow the games with SportPesa fixtures, as we let you know which teams are playing and the exact times they play.
FIFA World Cup Group stage rules explained
Having the World Cup 2026 match schedule and understanding the group-stage rules makes the tournament more enjoyable to watch and follow. The key rules in the group stage are:
- The group is set to have 48 teams, each in 12 groups.
- It is set to feature 72 games in the group stage, with only 32 teams progressing to the round of 32.
- The teams will play a round-robin tournament, with the winning team awarded 3 points and the losing team 0 points.
- Teams that draw will be awarded 1 point each.
- The top two teams in each group and the best 8 teams in third place will proceed to the round of 32.
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FAQs on FIFA World Cup Group stages schedule
What is World Cup Group B?
The World Cup 2026 group schedule has Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia, and Qatar in group B.
How many teams are in the World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has 48 national teams.
How do the FIFA World Cup 2026 groups work?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 features 12 groups of 4 teams. The teams play a round robin, with the winning team awarded 3 points, a draw awarded 1 point, and 0 points to the losing team. The team with the most points and the 8 best teams in the group stage proceed to the round of 32.
Where is the World Cup in 2026 first match going to be played?
The opening matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup Group Stages Schedule is competitive, and the tournament’s start sets the tone for the entire season. Having the right information makes the games more enjoyable. Stay tuned here on the SportPesa blog, as we bring you World Cup news as it happens in real time.
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