2026 World Cup schedule: dates, venues, groups and Spain fixtures
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July in Canada, Mexico and the United States, with 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches and 16 host cities. The final is on Sunday 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium. Spain sits in Group H and opens against Cape Verde on 15 June in Atlanta.
2026 World Cup format: 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest edition in the history of the tournament: 48 teams, 12 groups of 4 sides, 104 matches and 16 host cities spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The tournament runs from Thursday 11 June to Sunday 19 July 2026.
The top two of each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to the next round, a total of 32 teams entering the new round of 32 (dieciseisavos). From there, single-elimination knockouts all the way to the final.
One change compared to Qatar 2022: the team that reaches the final plays eight matches rather than seven. Another: yellow cards reset after the group stage and reset again after the quarter-finals, which reduces the risk of losing a key player to accumulated bookings in the knockout rounds.
Key dates: from 11 June to 19 July
These are the dates of each phase of the 2026 World Cup. All official kick-off times FIFA publishes are in US Eastern time (ET); to convert to mainland Spain time in June and July, add 6 hours and you get the CEST kick-off.
| Phase | Dates | Featured venue |
|---|---|---|
| Opening match | Thu 11 Jun | Estadio Ciudad de México (Mexico vs South Africa) |
| Group stage | 11 - 27 June | All 16 venues |
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun - 3 Jul | 16 matches across 12 venues |
| Round of 16 | 4 - 7 July | 8 matches |
| Quarter-finals | 9 - 11 July | Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Kansas City |
| Semi-finals | 14 and 15 July | Dallas / Atlanta |
| Third place | Sat 18 Jul | Miami |
| Final | Sun 19 Jul | New York New Jersey Stadium |
The 16 venues in Canada, Mexico and the United States
The 2026 World Cup spreads its 104 matches across 16 host cities: 2 in Canada, 3 in Mexico and 11 in the United States. The final is in New York/New Jersey and the opening match, 32 years after USA 1994, returns to the Estadio Azteca, renamed by FIFA as Estadio Ciudad de México for the tournament.
| Country | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
 Canada | Toronto | Toronto Stadium |
| Canada | Vancouver | BC Place Stadium |
 Mexico | Mexico City | Estadio Ciudad de México |
| Mexico | Guadalajara | Guadalajara Stadium |
| Mexico | Monterrey | Monterrey Stadium |
 USA | Atlanta | Atlanta Stadium |
| USA | Boston | Boston Stadium |
| USA | Dallas | Dallas Stadium |
| USA | Houston | Houston Stadium |
| USA | Kansas City | Kansas City Stadium |
| USA | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Stadium |
| USA | Miami | Miami Stadium |
| USA | New York/New Jersey | New York New Jersey Stadium |
| USA | Philadelphia | Philadelphia Stadium |
| USA | San Francisco Bay | San Francisco Bay Stadium |
| USA | Seattle | Seattle Stadium |
The 12 groups of the 2026 World Cup
The draw took place on 5 December 2025 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D. C. and produced the following twelve groups of four teams.
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
Czech RepublicCanada
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar
Switzerland
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
ScotlandUnited States
Paraguay
Australia
Turkey
Germany
Curaçao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Netherlands
Japan
Sweden
Tunisia
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
France
Senegal
Iraq
Norway
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
Portugal
DR Congo
Uzbekistan
Colombia
England
Croatia
Ghana
PanamaSpain at the 2026 World Cup: Group H schedule and kick-offs
Spain enters the 2026 World Cup with Luis de la Fuente as head coach and as the reigning Euro 2024 champion (Spain also won the 2023 Nations League but lost the 2024-25 title to Portugal in the final). The rest of Group H is made up of Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. To understand the path and method of the national-team coach, we cover Luis de la Fuente career in a dedicated piece.
| Day | Match | CEST kick-off | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 15 Jun | Spain vs Cape Verde | 18:00 | Atlanta Stadium |
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 18:00 | Atlanta Stadium |
| Sat 27 Jun (early) | Uruguay vs Spain | 02:00 | Guadalajara Stadium |
Spain plays its first two matches at the Atlanta Stadium and closes the group stage on Mexican soil at the Guadalajara Stadium. If Spain finishes as Group H winner, its round-of-32 game becomes match 84 (Thursday 2 July in Los Angeles) against the Group J runner-up; as group runner-up, it would play match 86 (Friday 3 July in Miami) against the Group J winner, where Argentina sits.
Spain also brings recent context to the table. As a reference for another modern national-team process, we also cover Luis Enrique career and how he built his playing model with Spain through to the Euro 2020 semi-final (lost on penalties to Italy).
The knockout rounds: from match 73 to match 104
The knockout rounds kick off on 28 June with the round of 32 and close on 19 July with the final between the two semi-final winners. In total, 32 knockout matches over 22 days, spread across the 16 tournament venues.
| Round | Dates | Matches | Venues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun - 3 Jul | 16 (73-88) | 12 cities |
| Round of 16 | 4 - 7 Jul | 8 (89-96) | Philadelphia, Houston, NY/NJ, Mexico City, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, Vancouver |
| Quarter-finals | 9 - 11 Jul | 4 (97-100) | Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Kansas City |
| Semi-final 1 | Tue 14 Jul | 101 | Dallas Stadium |
| Semi-final 2 | Wed 15 Jul | 102 | Atlanta Stadium |
| Third place | Sat 18 Jul | 103 | Miami Stadium |
| Final | Sun 19 Jul | 104 | New York New Jersey Stadium |
The bracket fills in match by match as groups conclude. The round-of-32 pairings depend on each side final standing (winner, runner-up or one of the eight best third-placed teams) and FIFA publishes the complete bracket within the first 48 hours after the group stage closes.
Times and how to follow the 2026 World Cup from Spain
FIFA publishes every official kick-off in US Eastern time (ET). To convert to mainland Spain time in June and July (CEST), add 6 hours to the listed time. Quick rule with the most common slots of the tournament:
- 12:00 ET → 18:00 CEST — Spanish afternoon (Spain plays its first two matches in this slot).
- 15:00 ET → 21:00 CEST — Spanish prime time, ideal for many key group-stage games.
- 18:00 ET → 00:00 CEST — midnight kick-off in Spain.
- 20:00 ET → 02:00 CEST — early hours of the next day (Spain vs Uruguay falls here).
- 22:00 ET → 04:00 CEST — deep early hours, mostly West-coast matches.
Games played at Mexican venues (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey) and on the West coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay, Seattle, Vancouver) almost always fall in late or early-morning slots for Spain. The semi-finals and the final, both in the late ET window, are evening kick-offs in Spanish time.
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Content produced by RutaMister from practical experience, editorial review and a training-focused approach for grassroots football coaches.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 2026 World Cup start and end?
The 2026 World Cup starts on 11 June 2026 with the Mexico vs South Africa opening match at the Estadio Ciudad de México, and ends on 19 July with the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium. The group stage closes on 27 June.
Who hosts the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup is jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. It is the first time three countries share the tournament. The US hosts 11 of the 16 venues, Mexico 3 and Canada 2. The final is played on US soil at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
How many teams and matches are there in the new format?
The 2026 World Cup introduces a new format of 48 teams in 12 groups of 4, up from 32 teams and 8 groups. The tournament adds a new round of 32 and totals 104 matches. The side that reaches the final plays eight matches in total.
Which group is Spain in and when does it play?
Spain is in Group H with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. It debuts on Monday 15 June against Cape Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), plays Saudi Arabia on Sunday 21 June at the same venue and closes the group stage against Uruguay at Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) in the early hours of Saturday 27 June Spanish time.
When and where is the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 World Cup final is played on Sunday 19 July at the New York New Jersey Stadium, in the US. It is match 104 of the tournament. The third-place playoff is the day before, Saturday 18 July, at the Miami Stadium.
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