As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup intensifies, soccer enthusiasts are now privy to the venues where their national teams will compete come next summer.
On Saturday, FIFA unveiled the official World Cup itinerary, detailing a total of 104 matches that will unfold across 16 cities. The United States will host the lion’s share with 78 games, including all matches from the quarterfinals onward. Meanwhile, Mexico and Canada will each stage 13 contests. In the U.S., matches will be held in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle.
The prestigious final is scheduled for July 19 at 3 p.m. EDT at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, aligning with prime-time slots in Europe and the UK, airing at 9 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively.
The tournament’s group stage draw took place on Friday, witnessed by a star-studded audience that included notable figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
FIFA, the body overseeing the tournament, strategically planned the schedule and locations, taking into account factors like travel logistics and broadcasting requirements.
FIFA – the tournament’s governing body – announced the schedule and sites after factoring in travel and broadcast.
“Let’s just say it’s been a long night — or a short night,” chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria said. “As I explained earlier to some of the coaches, 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, the biggest World Cup ever, 16 cities, three countries, different climatic conditions, time zones.”
And while six teams – of the 48 total scheduled to play in the summer tournament – have yet to be decided, the stage is set.
What is Team USA’s schedule?
The USA will play at least three group games in June. Their opponents are Australia, Paraguay and the winner of UEFA playoff C. The teams vying for this spot are Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo. The playoff games will be decided in March 2026.
The U.S. first-round games will be a 6 p.m. local start (9 p.m. EDT) against Paraguay at Inglewood in California on June 12, a noon kickoff (3 p.m. EDT) vs. Australia at Seattle seven days later and a 7 p.m. start on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium against the playoff winner.
Group stage schedule
The tournament begins on June 11, 2026, with co-host Mexico playing the opener in Mexico City against South Africa. The USA – in Los Angeles – and Canada – in Toronto – will kick off their games a day later. The group stage runs until June 27.
Jeenah Moon / REUTERS 
Here is the schedule:
June 11, 2026
- Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A) – Mexico City
- South Korea vs. UEFA playoff D (Group A) – Guadalajara
June 12
- Canada vs. UEFA playoff A (Group B) – Toronto
- USA vs. Paraguay (Group D) – Los Angeles
June 13
- Brazil vs. Morocco (Group C) – New York/New Jersey
- Australia vs. UEFA playoff C (Group D) – Vancouver
- Haiti vs. Scotland (Group C) – Boston
- Qatar vs. Switzerland (Group B) – San Francisco Bay Area
June 14
- Germany vs. Curaçao (Group E) – Houston
- Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Group E) – Philadelphia
- Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F) – Dallas
- UEFA playoff B vs. Tunisia (Group F) – Monterrey
June 15
- Spain vs. Cape Verde (Group H) – Atlanta
- Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Group H) – Miami
- Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G) – Seattle
- Iran vs. New Zealand (Group G) – Los Angeles
June 16
- France vs. Senegal (Group I) – New York/New Jersey
- FIFA playoff 2 vs. Norway (Group I) – Boston
- Argentina vs. Algeria (Group J) – Kansas City
- Austria vs. Jordan (Group J) – San Francisco Bay Area
June 17
- England vs. Croatia (Group L) – Toronto or Dallas
- Ghana vs. Panama (Group L) – Toronto or Dallas
- Portugal vs. FIFA playoff 1 (Group K) – Houston or Mexico City
- Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Group K) – Houston or Mexico City
June 18
- UEFA playoff D vs. South Africa (Group A) – Atlanta
- Switzerland vs. UEFA playoff A (Group A) – Los Angeles
- Canada vs. Qatar (Group B) – Vancouver
- Mexico vs. South Korea (Group A) – Guadalajara
June 19
- Brazil vs. Haiti (Group C) – Philadelphia
- Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C) – Boston
- UEFA playoff C vs. Paraguay (Group D) – San Francisco Bay Area
- USA vs. Australia (Group D) – Seattle
June 20
- Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) – Toronto
- Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Group E) – Kansas City
- Netherlands vs. UEFA playoff B (Group F) – Houston
- Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F) – Monterrey
June 21
- Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) – Atlanta
- Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (Group H) – Miami
- Belgium vs. Iran (Group G) – Los Angeles
- New Zealand vs. Egypt (Group G) – Vancouver
June 22
- France vs. FIFA playoff 2 (Group I) – Philadelphia
- Norway vs. Senegal (Group I) – New York/New Jersey
- Argentina vs. Austria (Group J) – Dallas
- Jordan vs. Algeria (Group J) – San Francisco Bay Area
June 23
- England vs. Ghana (Group L) – Boston
- Panama vs. Croatia (Group L) – Toronto
- Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) – Houston
- Colombia vs. FIFA playoff 1 (Group K) – Guadalajara
June 24
- Scotland vs. Brazil (Group C) – Miami
- Morocco vs. Haiti (Group C) – Atlanta
- Canada vs. Switzerland (Group B) – Vancouver
- UEFA playoff A vs. Qatar (Group B) – Seattle
- Mexico vs. UEFA playoff D (Group A) – Mexico City
- South Korea vs. South Africa (Group A) – Monterrey
June 25
- Ecuador vs. Germany (Group E) – New York/New Jersey
- Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) – Philadelphia
- Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Group F) – Kansas City
- Japan vs. UEFA playoff B (Group F) – Dallas
- USA vs. UEFA playoff C (Group D) – Los Angeles
- Paraguay vs. Australia (Group D) – San Francisco Bay Area
June 26
- Norway vs. France (Group I) – Boston
- Senegal vs. FIFA playoff 2 (Group I) – Toronto
- New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G) – Vancouver
- Egypt vs. Iran (Group G) – Seattle
- Uruguay vs. Spain (Group H) – Guadalajara
- Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) – Houston
June 27
- Panama vs. England (Group L) – New York/New Jersey
- Croatia vs. Ghana (Group L) – Philadelphia
- Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J) – Dallas
- Algeria vs. Austria (Group J) – Kansas City
- Colombia vs. Portugal (Group K) – Miami
- FIFA playoff 1 vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) – Atlanta
Knockout stage schedule
Round of 32
June 28
- Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B – Los Angeles (Match 73)
June 29
- Winner Group E vs Best 3rd place Group A/B/C/D/F – Boston (Match 74)
- Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C – Guadalupe, Mexico (Match 75)
- Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F – Houston (Match 76)
June 30
- Winner Group I vs Best 3rd place Group C/D/F/G/H – New Jersey (Match 77)
- Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I – Dallas (Match 78)
- Winner Group A vs Best 3rd place Group C/E/F/H/I – Mexico City (Match 79)
July 1
- Winner Group L vs Best 3rd place Group E/H/I/J/K – Atlanta (Match 80)
- Winner Group D vs Best 3rd place Group B/E/F/I/J – San Francisco-Bay Area (Match 81)
- Winner Group G vs Best 3rd place Group A/E/H/I/J – Seattle (Match 82)
July 2
- Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L – Toronto (Match 83)
- Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J – Los Angeles (Match 84)
- Winner Group B vs Best 3rd place Group E/F/G/I/J – Vancouver (Match 85)
July 3
- Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H – Miami (Match 86)
- Winner Group K vs Best 3rd place Group D/E/I/J/L – Kansas City (Match 87)
- Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G – Dallas (Match 88)
Round of 16
July 4
- Match 74 winner vs. Match 77 winner – Philadelphia (Match 89)
- Match 73 winner vs. Match 75 winner – Houston (Match 90)
July 5
- Match 76 winner vs. Match 78 winner – New Jersey (Match 91)
- Match 79 winner vs. Match 80 winner – Mexico City (Match 92)
July 6
- March 83 winner vs. Match 84 winner – Dallas (Match 93)
- Match 81 winner vs. Match 82 winner – Seattle: Match 94
July 7
- Match 86 winner vs. Match 88 winner – Atlanta (Match 95)
- Match 85 winner vs. Match 87 winner – Vancouver (Match 96)
Quarterfinals
July 9
- Match 89 winner vs. Match 90 winner – Boston (Match 97)
July 10
- Match 93 winner vs. Match 94 winner – Los Angeles (Match 98)
July 11
- Match 91 winner vs March 92 winner – Miami (Match 99)
- Match 95 winner vs. Match 96 winner – Kansas City (Match 100)
Semifinals
July 14
– Winner 97 vs. Winner 98 – Dallas
July 15
· Winner 99 vs. Winner 100 – Atlanta
Third place
Final
- July 19, 2026 – New Jersey
