2026 World Cup: Full schedule revealed after group stage draw

It took two days. There were several musical numbers. FIFA chief Gianni Infantino delivered multiple speeches. U.S. President Donald Trump received a new “peace prize.” Hollywood-inspired pomp and circumstance dominated proceedings. But after all that, the 2026 World Cup draw is complete, and the tournament schedule has been unveiled. View the groups and details for all 104 matches.

Group A ??????

Mexico (co-host), South Africa, South Korea, UEFA Playoff D

UEFA Playoff D: Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, or Ireland

Mexico, currently struggling under Javier Aguirre, will open the tournament against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca. Of the three co-hosts, Mexico’s home advantage might arguably be the most volatile. El Tri could benefit greatly from their home support, but if things go sideways, the Mexican fans have already shown they’re more than willing to make the players on the pitch aware of their frustrations. The final spot in the group will be determined in March 2026, when all the European and intercontinental playoffs take place to decide the last six qualifiers for the World Cup.

Group B ??????

Canada (co-host), UEFA Playoff A, Qatar, Switzerland

UEFA Playoff A: Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina

Should Italy advance through its UEFA playoff path, the Azzurri will return to the tournament for the first time since 2014 with a match against Canada in Toronto. The city’s sizable Canadian-Italian population would have to decide which shirt color to don for the contest.

Group C ?????????????

Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil won’t have it easy in Group C. Morocco, which finished fourth at the 2022 World Cup, will provide a massive test. Meanwhile, Scotland returns to the tournament for the first time in 28 years and will be spurred on by a boisterous Tartan Army.

Group D ??????

United States (co-host), Paraguay, Australia, UEFA Playoff C

UEFA Playoff C: Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo

Mauricio Pochettino has to be happy with this. While the result of the European playoff could make this quartet more difficult, the suddenly high-flying United States will take on Paraguay and Australia – two teams it recently defeated in friendly matches.

Group E ????????

Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

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Although the Germans stumbled a little bit in qualifying, they ultimately got the job done and now stand out as the favorites to advance from Group E. Ecuador’s resolute defense will be very difficult to break down, while the Ivorians have all the talent necessary to cause major upsets in the group. Both sides will fancy their chances against tiny tournament debutant Curacao.

Group F ??????

Netherlands, Japan, UEFA Playoff B, Tunisia

UEFA Playoff B: Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, or Albania

This could sneakily end up being one of the most interesting groups of the tournament, with the Netherlands and Japan playing refined styles that will be easy on the eyes. Tunisia, a perennial World Cup team that’s always among Africa’s most stout sides, will push them all the way.

Group G ????????

Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will see plenty of familiar faces when the Egyptian star and his teammates take on Belgium in what is the most interesting Group G contest. Iran and New Zealand meet in their first match, which should create a perfect group dynamic in which they both come out knowing that anything less than a victory in the opener could be devastating for their chances of advancing.

Group H ????????

Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Tough break for first-timer Cape Verde and 2034 World Cup host Saudi Arabia, as matchups with Spain and Uruguay are about as daunting as they come in the same group. Soccer’s greatest spectacle always delivers some stunners, though, and the Saudis will look to replicate what they did to eventual champion Argentina in 2022.

Group I ??????

France, Senegal, Intercontinental Playoff 2, Norway

Intercontinental Playoff 2: Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname

This is probably the big one for neutral viewers. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, arguably the two most singularly dominant forwards in the sport today, will clash when title hopeful France battles a loaded Norwegian side that steamrolled its competition in qualifying to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Don’t overlook Senegal: the Lions of Teranga have prior experience against France in World Cup matchups.

Group J ????????

Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Assuming Lionel Messi plays at the World Cup – he remains coy on his status whenever he’s asked – the Argentine icon and his compatriots will be loving what transpired at the draw. The reigning World Cup champion was paired with just one European nation and looks, at least on paper, like an overwhelming mismatch for Algeria and Jordan.

Group K ??????

Portugal, Intercontinental Playoff 1, Uzbekistan, Colombia

Intercontinental Playoff 1: DR Congo, Jamaica, or New Caledonia

Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t get quite so lucky thanks to Portugal being paired with the extremely talented Colombians. But the all-time top scorer in men’s international soccer, free to play in the tournament despite his red card in qualifying, could certainly add to his record tally in this group.

Group L ?????????????

England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

England versus Croatia is another standout match in the group stage. Thomas Tuchel’s loaded squad is being tipped as one of the tournament favorites, and with good reason. Luka Modric and his battle-tested Croatian teammates will provide a perfect early test that could give a good indication of just how legitimate the Three Lions’ title aspirations are.

To learn more about each team that’s qualified so far, tap here.

Knockout schedule

Once the group stage concludes, the expanded knockout stage of the World Cup runs as follows:

• Round of 32: June 28-July 3
• Round of 16: July 4-7
• Quarterfinals: July 8-11
• Semifinals: July 14-15
• Third-place match: July 18
• Final: July 19

In a delicious outcome, if Argentina and Portugal both win their groups and advance to the quarterfinals, icons Messi and Ronaldo could meet with a semifinal berth on the line. Ronaldo has already said this will be his final World Cup, while Messi is yet to confirm that he will play in the event, remaining coy on his participation.

The semifinals, played at AT&T Stadium on July 14 and Mercedes-Benz Stadium the following day, will start at 3 p.m. ET.

The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with FIFA confirming that it will kick off at 3 p.m. ET. That will allow for prime-time viewing in continental Europe and Britain.

Sweltering conditions could be a concern during the showpiece match, though. On average over the last 30 years, the July 19 temperature at 3 p.m. in East Rutherford is 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius), according to AccuWeather.

How will it all work?

The World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time in the event’s storied 95-year history, making this the biggest edition ever. The expansion from the 32-squad format used since 1998 means there will be more of everything in North America next summer: teams, players, games, and permutations to follow.

The top two from each of the 12 groups will advance to the single-elimination knockout stage, as in previous years. But this time, they’ll be joined by the eight best third-placed teams from the group stage, creating a knockout bracket that features 32 teams instead of the usual 16.

If third-placed teams from the various groups are tied on points, the following tiebreakers will be used, in order, to determine who advances to the knockout stage: goal difference, total goals scored, conduct score (yellow and red card accumulation), and, finally, FIFA ranking.

Every knockout game from the round of 32 to the World Cup final is winner-take-all. If a match is tied after 90 minutes, the teams will play 30 minutes of extra time, split into 15-minute halves. If there’s still no winner, the outcome is decided by a penalty shootout, just as it was in the 2022 World Cup final when Messi and Argentina defeated France.

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