Mexico to face South Africa in opener as FIFA announces schedule for 2026 World Cup
Mexico will take on South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Mexico City Stadium on June 11.
New Delhi: FIFA announced the official schedule for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, December 6. The draw for the tournament took place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C, on Friday, December 5.
The schedule for the 104-match tournament was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, along with former football legends such as Ronaldo Nazario, Francesco Totti and Hristo Stoichkov. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11 with the opening match between hosts Mexico and South Africa.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle (USA); Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey (Mexico); Toronto and Vancouver (Canada) are the 16 cities from Canada, Mexico, and the United States that will host the tournament. The final of the World Cup will be played at the New Jersey Stadium in New York on July 19.
FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule
Defending champions Argentina will start their title defence against Algeria in Group J, before facing Austria and Jordan. Other early group-stage fixtures include Brazil vs Morocco, Germany vs Curacao, Netherlands vs Japan, and England vs Croatia.
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 or Toronto
Panama vs. Croatia (Group L) - Boston or Toronto
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) - Houston or Guadalajara
Colombia vs. FIFA playoff 1 (Group K) - Houston or 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 or Philadelphia
Croatia vs. Ghana (Group L) - New York/New Jersey or Philadelphia
Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J) - Dallas
Algeria vs. Austria (Group J) - Kansas City
Colombia vs. Portugal (Group K) - Miami or Atlanta
FIFA playoff 1 vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) - Miami or Atlanta
2026 World Cup knockout round schedule
Round of 32: June 28-July 3
Round of 16: July 4-July 7
Quarterfinals: July 9-July 11
Semifinals: July 14-15 – AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) and Mecedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
Third-place match: July 18 – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
World Cup final: July 19 – MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey