The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City, featuring key matches across North America. The tournament runs for 39 days, concluding with the final match on July 18.
From superstars Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane to young guns such as Lamine Yamal, Arda Guler, Yan Diomande and more, football’s brightest talents will assemble in North America.
As the 39-day tournament kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Al Jazeera outlines the key dates and matches for you:
June 11: Mexico vs South Africa – opening game of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico City
June 12: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, USA vs Paraguay – opening matches of the other cohosts
June 14: Germany vs Curacao – Curacao become the smallest nation to play at a World Cup
June 15: Spain vs Cape Verde – Cape Verde make their World Cup debut
June 16: Argentina vs Algeria, Austria vs Jordan – Argentina begin their title defence, and Lionel Messi starts his sixth World Cup campaign; Jordan play their first World Cup match
June 17: Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uzbekistan vs Colombia – Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo makes his sixth World Cup appearance; Uzbekistan play at a World Cup for the first time
June 27: Group stage ends
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo react.
From left, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo are all set to steal the World Cup spotlight again [File: Getty Images]
June 28-July 3: round of 32
July 4-7: round of 16
July 9-11: quarterfinals
July 14-15: semifinals
July 18: bronze match
July 19: World Cup final
The best group-stage World Cup matches:
In order of their dates
June 13: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C)
June 14: Netherlands vs Japan (Group F)
Q&A
What is the opening match date for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled for June 11 in Mexico City.
Which teams are playing in the opening matches of the World Cup 2026?
The opening matches on June 12 feature Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina and USA vs Paraguay.
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 end?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to conclude on July 18.
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June 16: France vs Senegal (Group I)
June 17: England vs Croatia (Group L)
June 18: Mexico vs South Korea (Group A)
June 20: Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E)
June 20: Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F)
June 22: Norway vs Senegal (Group I)
June 22: Argentina vs Austria (Group J)
June 24: South Africa vs South Korea (Group A)
June 25: Japan vs Sweden (Group F)
June 26: Norway vs France (Group I)
June 26: Uruguay vs Spain (Group H)
June 27: Colombia vs Portugal (Group K)
Brazil's Neymar celebrates scoring
Neymar is back in Brazil’s squad as they chase what would be a record-extending sixth World Cup [Ricardo Moraes/Reuters]
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11. You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.
