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2026 FIFA World Cup Groups and Match Schedule Confirmed

The 2026 tournament will begin with Mexico v South Africa on June 11

Posted On: December 8, 2025 By : Paul Stevens

The groups and the match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States have been announced in Washington, D.C.

For the first time, the tournament will feature 48 teams, including 12 groups of four national teams, and a new round-of-32, before a world champion is decided.

The final draw ceremony was broadcast from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in front of nearly 2,000 international guests and a live audience in the millions from around the world.

Former England footballer Rio Ferdinand and broadcaster Samantha Johnson led the draw as co-conductors, and they were joined by North American sporting greats as draw assistants, including Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, Aaron Judge and Shaquille O’Neal.

The show was hosted by model Heidi Klum and actor Kevin Hart, with live musical performances from the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Village People.

In ceremonial fashion, the heads of state of the three co-hosting countries drew their own national teams to begin the draw. President Claudia Scheinbaum Pardo drew Mexico into its pre-arranged position in Group A, Prime Minister Mark Carney drew Canada into Group A, and President Donald Trump (who had earlier been awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize) drew the United States into Group D.

World Cup Groups Confirmed

• Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner of UEFA Play-Off D (Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia)
• Group B: Canada, Winner of UEFA Play-Off A (Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland), Qatar, Switzerland
• Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
• Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Winner of UEFA Play-Off C (Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania)
• Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
• Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner of UEFA Play-Off B (Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden), Tunisia
• Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
• Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
• Group I: France, Senegal, Winner of FIFA Play-Off 2 (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname), Norway
• Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
• Group K: Portugal, Winner of FIFA Play-Off 1 (DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia), Uzbekistan, Colombia
• Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

The match schedule was released 24 hours later, confirming the venues and the kick-off times for each of the 104 matches respectively.

On June 11, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin with Mexico v South Africa in Mexico City, a repeat of the opening match in the 2010 FIFA World Cup that was hosted in South Africa.

The tournament will conclude with the final on July 19 in New York New Jersey.

Match Schedule

• Vancouver:
  June 13 — Australia v Turkey / Slovakia / Romania / Kosovo
  June 18 — Canada v Qatar
  June 21 — New Zealand v Egypt
  June 24 — Switzerland v Canada
  June 26 — New Zealand v Belgium
  July 2 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 7 — Round-of-16 match
• Seattle:
  June 15 — Belgium v Egypt
  June 19 — United States v Australia
  June 24 — Italy / Northern Ireland / Wales / Bosnia-Herzegovina v Qatar
  June 26 — Egypt v Iran
  July 1 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 6 — Round-of-16 match
• San Francisco Bay Area:
  June 13 — Qatar v Switzerland
  June 16 – Austria v Jordan
  June 19 — Turkey / Romania / Slovakia / Kosovo v Paraguay
  June 22 — Jordan v Algeria
  June 25 — Paraguay v Australia
  July 1 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
• Los Angeles:
  June 12 – United States v Paraguay
  June 15 — Iran v New Zealand
  June 18 — Switzerland v Italy / Northern Ireland / Wales / Bosnia-Herzegovina
  June 21 – Belgium v Iran
  June 25 — Turkey / Romania / Slovakia / Kosovo v United States
  June 28/July 2 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 matches
  July 10 — Quarter Final match
• Guadalajara:
  June 11 — South Korea v Denmark / North Macedonia / Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland
  June 18 — Mexico v South Korea
  June 23 — Colombia v DR Congo / Jamaica / New Caledonia
  June 26 — Uruguay v Spain
• Mexico City:
  June 11 – Mexico v South Africa
  June 17 – Uzbekistan v Colombia
  June 24 — Denmark / North Macedonia / Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland v Mexico
  June 30 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 5 – Round-of-16 match
• Monterrey:
  June 14 – Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania v Tunisia
  June 20 — Tunisia v Japan
  June 24 – South Africa v South Korea
  June 29 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
• Houston:
  June 14 — Germany v Curacao
  June 17 — Portugal v DR Congo / Jamaica / New Caledonia
  June 20 — Netherlands v Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania
  June 23 — Portugal v Uzbekistan
  June 26 — Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia
  June 29 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 4 — Round-of-16 match
• Dallas:
  June 14 — Netherlands v Japan
  June 17 — England v Croatia
  June 22 — Argentina v Austria
  June 25 — Japan v Ukraine / Sweden / Poland / Albania
  June 27 — Jordan v Argentina
  June 30/July 3 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 matches
  July 6 — Round-of-16 match
  July 14 — Semi-Final match
• Kansas City:
  June 16 — Argentina v Algeria
  June 20 — Ecuador v Curacao
  June 25 — Tunisia v Netherlands
  June 17 — Algeria v Austria
  July 3 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 11 — Quarter-Final match
• Atlanta:
  June 15 – Spain v Cape Verde
  June 18 — Denmark / North Macedonia / Czech Republic / Republic of Ireland v South Africa
  June 21 – Spain v Saudi Arabia
  June 24 — Morocco v Haiti
  June 27 — DR Congo / Jamaica / New Caledonia v Uzbekistan
  July 1 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 7 — Round-of-16 match
  July 15 — Semi-Final match
• Miami:
  June 15 — Saudi Arabia v Uruguay
  June 21 – Uruguay v Cape Verde
  June 24 — Scotland v Brazil
  June 27 — Colombia v Portugal
  July 3 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 11 — Quarter-Final match
  July 18 — Bronze Final match
• Toronto:
  June 12 — Canada v Italy / Northern Ireland / Wales / Bosnia-Herzegovina
  June 17 — Ghana v Panama
  June 20 — Germany v Ivory Coast
  June 23 — Panama v Croatia
  June 26 — Senegal v Iraq / Bolivia / Suriname
  July 2 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
• Boston:
  June 13 — Haiti v Scotland
  June 16 — Iraq / Bolivia / Suriname v Norway
  June 19 — Scotland v Morocco
  June 23 — England v Ghana
  June 26 — Norway v France
  June 29 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 9 — Quarter-Final match
• Philadelphia:
  June 14 — Ivory Coast v Ecuador
  June 19 — Brazil v Haiti
  June 22 — France v Iraq / Bolivia / Suriname
  June 25 — Curacao v Ivory Coast
  June 27 — Croatia v Ghana
  July 4 — Group Stage, Round-of-16 match
• New York New Jersey:
  June 13 — Brazil v Morocco
  June 16 — France v Senegal
  June 22 — Norway v Senegal
  June 25 — Ecuador v Germany
  June 27 — Panama v England
  June 30 — Group Stage, Round-of-32 match
  July 5 — Round-of-16 match
  July 19 — Final

FIFA reported that nearly 2 million tickets have already been sold for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The next phase of ticket sales, the Random Selection Draw, will open on December 11.

The full match schedule will officially be released in March, after the final Play-Off tournaments have been concluded and the remaining six national teams have qualified.

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