2026 FIFA World Cup Fixtures & Schedule

Question 1

When does the 2026 World Cup start and end?

Accepted Answer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on 11 June 2026 with the opening match (Mexico v South Africa at Estadio Banorte in Guadalajara) and runs through 19 July 2026 when the final is played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The group stage takes place from 11 June to 27 June 2026, the Round of 32 from 28 June to 4 July, the Round of 16 from 4 to 7 July, the quarter-finals from 9 to 12 July, the semi-finals on 14 and 15 July, the third-place play-off on 18 July, and the final on 19 July.

Question 2

How many matches are played at the 2026 World Cup?

Accepted Answer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 104 matches in total — 72 group-stage matches (12 groups of 4 × 6 matches each), 16 Round-of-32 matches, 8 Round-of-16 matches, 4 quarter-finals, 2 semi-finals, a third-place play-off, and the final. The Round of 32 was new for 2026 because the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams. With 32 teams reaching the knockout stage from 12 groups (top two plus 8 best third-placed teams), the path to the trophy now spans seven rounds.

Question 3

Which host cities and stadiums are used in 2026?

Accepted Answer

The 2026 World Cup is hosted across 16 venues in 3 host nations (the United States, Mexico, and Canada). Key venues include MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (the final), AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (both semi-finals), SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, NRG Stadium in Houston, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, BC Place in Vancouver, BMO Field in Toronto, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Lumen Field in Seattle, and the Mexican venues Estadio Banorte in Guadalajara, Estadio Akron in Zapopan, and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Question 4

What was the first match of the 2026 World Cup?

Accepted Answer

The opening match of the 2026 World Cup was Mexico 2-0 South Africa on 11 June 2026 at 19:00 UTC at Estadio Banorte in Guadalajara, Mexico. The match officially opened the first 48-team FIFA World Cup in history.

Question 5

What were the biggest results in the group stage?

Accepted Answer

The standout group-stage result was Germany's 7-1 demolition of Curaçao at NRG Stadium on 14 June. Other notable results included Sweden 5-1 Tunisia (Estadio BBVA), Canada 6-0 Qatar (BC Place), Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (NRG Stadium), England 4-2 Croatia (AT&T Stadium), Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan (NRG Stadium), and France 3-1 Senegal in the tournament's marquee opening matchday fixture at MetLife Stadium.

Question 6

When are the 2026 World Cup semi-finals and final?

Accepted Answer

Semi-final 1 (France v Spain) was played on Monday 14 July 2026 at 19:00 UTC (3pm ET) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain won 2-0 and advanced to the final. Semi-final 2 (England v Argentina) was played on Wednesday 15 July 2026 at 19:00 UTC (3pm ET) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia — Argentina won 2-1 to advance to the final. The final is between Spain and Argentina on Sunday 19 July 2026 at 19:00 UTC (3pm ET) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The third-place play-off is on Saturday 18 July at 21:00 UTC at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami between France and England.

Question 7

Where can I find live scores and results?

Accepted Answer

Live scores, completed results, and the full knockout bracket are kept up to date on the World Cup Teams results page. Final scores are mirrored from the official tournament feed after every match, alongside goal-scorer lists, attendance figures, and a brief match summary for each knockout fixture. The results page also includes a complete written recap of every Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-final, and semi-final match.

2026 World Cup Fixtures

Quick Navigation

Group Stage

Matchday 1 — 11–13 June 2026 (24 matches)

Matchday 2 — 18–24 June 2026 (24 matches)

Matchday 3 — 24–28 June 2026 (24 matches, all groups play final round)

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Third-place play-off

The Final

Tournament Format Reminder