FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule, Venues, and Channels by Country
FIFA World Cup 2026 is the first tournament with 48 teams, 104 matches, and three co-hosting countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This article is the reference guide: dates, venues, the new tournament format, the full match-stage schedule, and a country-by-country list of broadcasters showing each match. Bookmark it for the tournament — we'll keep it current with notable schedule updates.
If you're here to figure out how to actually watch the tournament, our streaming guide covers that end-to-end. If you don't yet have an IPTV subscription, our pricing tiers start at $15/month and credentials arrive by email in minutes.
World Cup 2026: Dates and Format
The tournament runs June 11 to July 19, 2026 — 39 days. The 48-team field is split into 12 groups of 4 teams. Each team plays 3 group-stage matches. The top two teams from each group, plus the 8 best third-placed teams, advance to a new Round of 32 stage. From there: Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match, and final. Total: 104 matches over 39 days, more than any previous World Cup.
All 16 Host Cities Across USA, Canada, and Mexico
Eleven cities in the United States host matches: Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Boston (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough), Dallas (AT&T Stadium, Arlington), Houston (NRG Stadium), Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood), Miami (Hard Rock Stadium), New Jersey/New York (MetLife Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara), and Seattle (Lumen Field).
Two cities in Canada: Toronto (BMO Field) and Vancouver (BC Place). Three cities in Mexico: Guadalajara (Estadio Akron), Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), and Monterrey (Estadio BBVA). Each host city carries between 4 and 13 matches depending on the venue's role in the tournament. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey hosts the final on July 19, 2026.
Group Stage Schedule: June 11 – June 27, 2026
The group stage opens June 11 with the host nation's first match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — historically the same stadium that hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals. Group-stage matches run through June 27, with multiple matches each day across the three host countries. Match start times are staggered across US Pacific, Central, Eastern, and Mexican time zones to accommodate the geographic spread of host cities.
Each of the 12 groups plays three rounds of fixtures. The top two from each group, plus the 8 best third-placed teams, advance from the group stage. The expanded format means more competitive group-stage matches than in previous tournaments — fewer dead-rubber final-round games.
Knockout Stage Schedule: June 28 – July 19, 2026
Round of 32: June 28 – July 3 (16 matches). Round of 16: July 4 – July 7 (8 matches). Quarter-finals: July 9 – July 11 (4 matches). Semi-finals: July 14 – July 15 (2 matches). Third-place match: July 18. Final: July 19 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. The Round of 32 is a new stage added for the 48-team format — it didn't exist in previous tournaments.
Opening Match and Final: Where and When
Opening match: June 11, 2026 at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City. Estadio Azteca becomes the only stadium in history to host matches at three World Cups (1970, 1986, 2026). Final: July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey — the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets NFL teams. Both broadcasts are confirmed in 4K HDR by the host broadcasters.
How to Watch World Cup 2026 by Country: Broadcaster List
United States: Fox Sports (English-language, Fox network + FS1) and Telemundo (Spanish-language, Telemundo network + Universo + Peacock streaming). United Kingdom: BBC (BBC One, BBC iPlayer) and ITV (ITV1, ITVX streaming) split coverage of every match. Canada: TSN, CTV, and Sportsnet share broadcasts; major matches air on free-to-air CTV. Mexico: TUDN (Univision Mexico), Azteca Deportes, and ViX streaming.
France: TF1 main matches, M6 select matches, beIN Sports for full coverage. Spain: RTVE (La 1, Teledeporte) for free-to-air matches, Mediaset (Cuatro, Telecinco) for select matches, Movistar Plus+ for additional coverage. Germany: ARD (Das Erste) and ZDF split free-to-air matches; Magenta TV (Deutsche Telekom) carries all 104 matches. Italy: Mediaset (Canale 5, Italia 1) for selected matches. Portugal: RTP. Netherlands: NOS. Across Latin America: ESPN/Disney+, Globo (Brazil), and TUDN. Middle East and North Africa: beIN Sports exclusively.
Watching Matches Not Broadcast in Your Region
Even with extensive broadcaster coverage, some matches won't be available in every country — group-stage fixtures between non-major footballing nations are often only shown in their home markets. IPTV services that include international channels give access to broadcasts from other countries that are airing the match you want. With IPTV Smarters Pro 4K, the channel package covers all major broadcasters above — Fox, Telemundo, BBC, ITV, TF1, M6, RTVE, ARD, ZDF, beIN Sports, TUDN, and the international sport channels covering the tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time will the opening match kick off? FIFA has not yet published the exact kickoff time for the June 11 opening match at Estadio Azteca. Past tournaments have placed the opening match at 4 PM local time. Check FIFA's official schedule closer to the tournament for the confirmed time.
How many matches will be played per day during the group stage? Most group-stage days feature 4 matches, scheduled across the US Pacific, US Eastern, and Mexican Central time zones to give fans live coverage windows across the day.
Is the Round of 32 new for 2026? Yes. The expansion from 32 teams to 48 teams required an extra knockout stage. The Round of 32 is the first knockout round, with 32 teams playing 16 matches over 6 days.
Final Thoughts
World Cup 2026 is the largest tournament FIFA has ever staged — more matches, more teams, more host cities, more broadcasters. Whichever way you choose to follow it, plan your viewing setup before June 11. Bookmark this guide for schedule reference, and see our streaming guide if you're still deciding how to watch. Our pricing tiers start at $15/month and credentials arrive by email within minutes.