The countdown to FIFA World Cup 2026 is well underway, with football fans able to map out the entire tournament calendar as the biggest edition of the global showpiece takes shape.
For the first time in history, the World Cup will be hosted by three countries – United States, Canada and Mexico – while the competition will also expand from 32 to 48 teams.
The expanded format means the tournament will feature a record 104 matches played over 39 days, making it the largest World Cup ever staged.
Tournament opener
South Africa are set to feature in the tournament opener, taking on hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June.
The fixture has drawn comparisons to Bafana Bafana’s memorable opening match against Mexico at the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg, when Siphiwe Tshabalala scored one of the most famous goals in South African football history.
Expanded tournament format
The 2026 edition introduces a new format featuring 12 groups of four teams.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to a newly introduced Round of 32.
From there, the tournament progresses through the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
The expansion means teams reaching the final will have to navigate an additional knockout round compared to previous World Cups.
The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026, with football taking place almost every day.
There will be only five match-free days throughout the competition – 8 July, 12 July, 13 July, 16 July and 17 July.
The group stage concludes at the end of June before the Round of 32 begins immediately, ensuring a packed schedule for supporters across the globe.
Bafana Bafana’s group fixtures
South Africa’s World Cup campaign begins against Mexico before they face the Czech Republic in Atlanta on 18 June.
Bafana Bafana will then complete their group-stage commitments against South Korea in Monterrey on 24 June.
Coach Hugo Broos will be hoping to guide South Africa into the knockout stages for the first time.
World Cup final
The tournament concludes on 19 July, when the final will crown the new world champions after more than a month of football spread across North America.
With 48 nations, 104 matches and three host countries, FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to be the largest and most commercially significant World Cup in the history of the sport.
World Cup key dates of rounds
Group stage: June 11-27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarter-finals: July 9-11
Semi-finals: July 14-15
Third-place playoff: July 18
Final: July 19
Full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule
All times SA
Matchday 1 – June 11-18
Thursday, June 11
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, Mexico City, Mexico – 21:00
Friday, June 12
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, Guadalajara, Mexico – 04:00
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, Toronto, Canada – 21:00
Saturday, June 13
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, Los Angeles, USA – 02:00
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA – 21:00
Sunday, June 14
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, New Jersey, USA – 00:00
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 03:00
Group D: Australia vs Turkey, Vancouver, Canada – 06:00
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, Houston, USA – 19:00
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, Arlington (Dallas), USA – 22:00
Monday, June 15
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, Philadelphia, USA – 01:00
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico – 04:00
Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde, Atlanta, USA – 18:00
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt, Seattle, USA – 21:00
Tuesday, June 16
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, Miami, USA – 00:00
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, Los Angeles, USA – 03:00
Group I: France vs Senegal, New Jersey, USA – 21:00
Wednesday, June 17
Group I: Iraq vs Norway, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 00:00
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, Kansas City, USA – 03:00
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA – 06:00
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, Houston, USA – 19:00
Group L: England vs Croatia, Arlington (Dallas), USA – 22:00
Thursday, June 18
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, Toronto, Canada – 01:00
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, Mexico City, Mexico – 04:00
Matchday 2 – June 18–24
Thursday, June 18
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Atlanta, USA – 18:00
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, Los Angeles, USA – 21:00
Friday, June 19
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, Vancouver, Canada – 00:00
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, Guadalajara, Mexico – 03:00
Group D: USA vs Australia, Seattle, USA – 21:00
Saturday, June 20
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 00:00
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, Philadelphia, USA – 03:00
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA – 06:00
Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden, Houston, USA – 19:00
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, Toronto, Canada – 22:00
Sunday, June 21
Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, Kansas City, USA – 02:00
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico – 06:00
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, Atlanta, USA – 18:00
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, Los Angeles, USA – 21:00
Monday, June 22
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, Miami, USA – 00:00
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, Vancouver, Canada – 03:00
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, Arlington (Dallas), USA – 19:00
Group I: France vs Iraq, Philadelphia, USA – 23:00
Tuesday, June 23
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, Toronto, Canada – 02:00
Group J: Jordan vs Algeria, Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA – 05:00
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, Houston, USA – 19:00
Group L: England vs Ghana, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 22:00
Wednesday, June 24
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 01:00
Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo, Guadalajara, Mexico – 04:00
Matchday 3 – June 24-28
Wednesday, June 24
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, Vancouver, Canada – 21:00
Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar, Seattle, USA – 21:00
Thursday, June 25
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, Atlanta, USA – 00:00
Group C: Scotland vs Brazil, Miami, USA – 00:00
Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico – 03:00
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, Guadalupe (Monterrey), Mexico – 03:00
Group E: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast, Philadelphia, USA – 22:00
Group E: Ecuador vs Germany, New Jersey, USA – 22:00
Friday, June 26
Group F: Japan vs Sweden, Arlington (Dallas), USA – 01:00
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, Kansas City, USA – 01:00
Group D: Turkey vs USA, Los Angeles, USA – 04:00
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, Santa Clara (San Francisco), USA – 04:00
Group I: Norway vs France, Foxborough (Boston), USA – 21:00
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, Toronto, Canada – 21:00
Saturday, June 27
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, Houston, USA – 02:00
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, Guadalajara, Mexico – 02:00
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, Vancouver, Canada – 05:00
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, Seattle, USA – 05:00
Group L: Panama vs England, New Jersey, USA – 23:00
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, Philadelphia, USA – 23:00
Sunday, June 28
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, Miami, USA – 01:30
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, Atlanta, USA – 01:30
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, Kansas City, USA – 04:00
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, Arlington (Dallas), USA – 04:00
Round of 32 – June 28 to July 3
Sunday, June 28
Group A Runners-up vs Group B Runners-up (Match 73) Los Angeles, USA – 21:00
Monday, June 29
Group C Winners vs Group F Runners-up (Match 76) Houston, USA – 19:00
Group E Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 74) Boston, USA – 22:30
Tuesday, June 30
Group F Winners vs Group C Runners-up (Match 75) Monterrey, Mexico – 03:00
Group E Runners-up vs Group I Runners-up (Match 78) Dallas, USA – 19:00
Group I Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 77) New York City, USA – 23:00
Wednesday, July 1
Group A Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 79) Mexico City, Mexico – 03:00
Group L Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 80) Atlanta, USA – 18:00
Group G Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 82) Seattle, USA – 22:00
Thursday, July 2
Group D Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 81) San Francisco, USA – 02:00
Group H Winners vs Group J Runners-up (Match 84) Los Angeles, USA – 21:00
Friday, July 3
Group K Runners-up vs Group L Runners-up (Match 83) Toronto, Canada – 01:00
Group B Winners vs Best 3rd Place(Match 85) Vancouver, Canada – 05:00
Group J Winners vs Group H Runners-up(Match 88) Dallas, USA – 20:00
Saturday, July 4
Group D Runners-up vs Group G Runners-up (Match 86) Miami, USA – 00:00
Group K Winners vs Best 3rd Place (Match 87) Vancouver, Canada – 02:30
Round of 16 – July 4-7
Saturday, July 4
Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 (Match 90) – Houston, USA – 19:00
Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 (Match 89) – Philadelphia, USA – 23:00
Sunday, July 5
Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 (Match 91) – New York City, USA – 22:00
Monday, July 6
Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 (Match 92) – Mexico City, Mexico – 02:00
Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 (Match 93) – Dallas, USA – 21:00
Tuesday, July 7
Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 (Match 94) – Seattle, USA – 02:00
Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 (Match 95) – Atlanta, USA – 18:00
Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 (Match 96) – Vancouver, Canada – 22:00
Quarter-finals – July 9-11
Thursday, July 9
Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90 (Match 97) – Boston, USA – 22:00
Friday, July 10
Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 (Match 98) – Los Angeles, USA – 21:00
Saturday, July 11
Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96 (Match 99) – Miami, USA – 23:00
Sunday, July 12
Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92 (Match 100) – Kansas City, USA – 03:00
Semi-finals – July 14-15
Tuesday, July 14
Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98 (Match 101) – Dallas, USA – 21:00
Wednesday, July 15
Winner Match 99 vs Winner 100 (Match 102) – Atlanta, USA – 21:00
Third-place Playoff
Saturday, July 18
Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102 (Match 103) – Miami, USA – 23:00
Final
Sunday, July 19
Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102 (Match 104) – New York, USA – 21:00