The FIFA World Cup group stage schedule provides a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of all 104 matches this year across all groups. This guide details fixtures, schedules, future changes, and rules for all 12 competition groups.
The FIFA World Cup group stage schedule 2026 confirms each host nation will play 3 matches at home. Find match dates, times, and venues on SportPesa. Our analysis of all 48 national teams across the 12 groups provides statistics and news to inform your predictions.
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FIFA World Cup 2026 Group stages overview
| 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 Round of 32 | 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 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 the key dates
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be played at the Mexico City Stadium on June 11th, 2026. The tournament is scheduled to have 104 matches and 48 national teams, with the finals set to be played at MetLife Stadium in New York, United States, on July 19th, 2026. Of the 104 total games, 78 will be played in the group stage.
The table below lists the FIFA World Cup Group Stage kickoff times, the various stages, and their end dates.
| 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 |
Read Also: Bafana Bafana World Cup Squad Announced
FIFA World Cup group stage schedule 2026
In this section, we have the World Cup 2026 group stage fixtures and dates, with 72 games, as approved by the FIFA Council. Since the teams at this stage of the tournament play in a round-robin format, we are providing the matchup, venue, and date for each set. Come through as we analyse World Cup fixtures by group A, B, C, D, till the last group L.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A fixtures
The four national teams in this group are Mexico, South Africa, Czechia, and South Korea. They will be playing their matches from 11th June 2026 to 24th June 2026 in Mexico. The table below shows the group’s fixtures.
| 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) |
Read Also: France vs Senegal Prediction
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B fixtures
The group B matches are set to be played at Vancouver, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Seattle, and Toronto from June 12th to June 24th, 2026. The four teams in this group are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, and Canada. The table below gives the group’s fixtures.
| Date | Kick-off 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 |
ALSO READ: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina Prediction & Match Preview: World Cup 2026, 12 June 2026
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C fixtures
The group matches will be played in New York, Miami, Boston, and Philadelphia, with Morocco, Scotland, Brazil, and Haiti participating. The group’s fixtures are as represented in the table below.
| 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D fixtures
The four teams in this group are the United States, Australia, Paraguay, and Turkey, and their games will be hosted across major cities in Canada and the United States. The group’s fixtures are as represented in the table below.
| 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E fixtures
The teams in this group are Curacao, Ivory Coast, Germany, and Ecuador. They will be playing across stadiums in the United States and Canada. The table below lists the dates, times, matches, and venues where this group will play.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET | Germany vs. Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sunday, June 14, 2026 | 7:00 PM ET | Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 4:00 PM ET | Germany vs. Ivory Coast | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 8:00 PM ET | Ecuador vs. Curaçao | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | To be confirmed | Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast | TBC |
| Thursday, June 25, 2026 | To be confirmed | Ecuador vs. Germany | TBC |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F fixtures
The USA and Mexico will be hosting the matches in this group. The teams in this group are Sweden, Japan, the Netherlands, and Tunisia, and they will be playing from 14th June to 25th June 2026. Below is a detailed table showing this group’s fixtures.
| 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G fixtures
The participating teams are Iran, Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, with the games scheduled to run from June 15th to June 26th, 2026. The table below shows the fixtures of this group.
| 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H fixtures
The four teams in Group H are Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia. Their matches are set to be hosted across Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and Guadalajara. The following provides an analysis of the matches, playing 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I fixtures
France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway are the national teams in this group. 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J fixtures
The participants are Algeria, Austria, Argentina, and Jordan, and they will play between 16th June and 22nd June 2026. The matches will be hosted in the United States across Kansas City, Santa Clara, and Arlington. 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 | To be communicated | Group Finale Match A | Kansas City / Dallas (TBD) |
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 | To be communicated | Group Finale Match B | Kansas City / Dallas (TBD) |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K fixtures
This being the second-last group in the World Cup, the teams will play between June 17th and June 27th, 2026. The national teams in this group are Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The table below gives this group’s fixtures.
| 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, Mexico |
| 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 |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L fixtures
This is the 12th and the last group in the World Cup. The teams in the group are England, Croatia, Panama, and Ghana. Their matches are set to begin on 17th June 2026 and end on 27th June 2026. The matches will be hosted across major cities in the United States. The table below shows 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 |
Also Read: Mexico vs South Africa World Cup 2026 opener: Prediction, preview, key stats & h2h
Future changes to tournament scheduling
The 2030 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place between 8th June 2030 and 21st July 2030, taking around 43 days, which is longer than the 2026 edition, which is set to take 39 days. Despite having 48 teams and 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup, the 2030 version will be the first to be hosted across three continents. It will be hosted in six countries across Africa, South America, and Europe. The host countries will be Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Portugal, Uruguay, and Morocco. The table below gives the World Cup 2030 trends.
| 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 |
Read Also: Bafana Bafana World Cup Squad Announced
Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage matches live
Football fans in South Africa have two ways to watch the World Cup 2026: either stream it or travel to the matches’ locations in the USA, Mexico, or Canada. If you plan to watch at the venue, all you need is a World Cup 2026 ticket and schedule updates to align with the host city’s itinerary. To get the tickets is simple; you only need to visit the FIFA tickets portal and choose your preferred ticket. One can still watch all 104 matches in real time from the comfort of their home by streaming them on DStv, SuperSport, or for free on SABC. Streaming is more flexible because fans can use a wide variety of devices, including mobile phones, computers, and smart TVs.
FIFA World Cup group stage rules
Having the World Cup 2026 match schedule and understanding the group-stage rules makes the tournament more enjoyable to watch and follow. The main aim at this level is to determine which teams will play in the round of 32. The key rules in the group stage are:
- The group stage will feature 48 teams divided into 12 groups, with each group consisting of four teams, numbered alphabetically from A to L.
- The teams are set to play a total of 72 matches.
- The teams will play a round-robin, with teams in the same group playing each other.
- The winning team will be awarded 3 points; in a draw, each team will get 1 point; and the losing team will get 0 points.
- The two top teams after the round robin, along with the 8 best third-place teams, 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.
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.
How many group stages are in the World Cup?
The World Cup has 12 groups, each with 4 teams.
How will the World Cup knockout stage work?
The World Cup knockout stages will start at the round of 32 due to the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams. Here, the losers are immediately eliminated while the winner advances to the next level.
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup Group Stages Schedule provides details on the start of the first stage of the 2026 World Cup. The national teams in the competition have a track of success and young, fresh talent. It is predicted to be the most competitive tournament in the history of football. Stay tuned here on SportPesa for all World Cup news as they happen in real time.
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