2026 World Cup: Grouping & Schedules

  The 2026 World Cup is the first men's World Cup in the United States since the 1994 tournament, and it'll be unlike any World Cup ever played.

The field has been supersized from 32 to 48 teams and the competition will begin in earnest on June 11 with Mexico hosting South Africa at Mexico City's famed Estadio Azteca. The first U.S. game is the following day, as the Americans will host Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

This World Cup will be the first one that is played in three countries. Canada (two cities) and Mexico (three) will each host 13 games. The remaining 78 matches will be played in 11 cities across the U.S., including all eight games from the quarterfinals onward.

Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the tournament.

World Cup groups, teams and rosters

The World Cup draw took place on Dec. 5 and the 48 teams were slotted into 12 groups of four. The teams were given a final roster deadline of June 1, so we already know who will be representing each country (click on the teams below to see each roster).

Daily World Cup schedule (group stage)

The group stage will begin Thursday with the aforementioned clash between Mexico and South Africa, along with South Korea vs. Czechia. After another two games on Friday — including the U.S. team's opener — the action really ramps up on Saturday with four games per day. (There are four group stage games that kick off at midnight ET. They are listed below on the previous day.)

Then, in the final round of group play, there will be six games each day, with the teams in each group kicking off at the same time. Below is a daily World Cup game schedule so you can plan accordingly.

Thursday, June 11

Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa, 3 p.m.

Group A: South Korea vs. Czechia, 10 p.m.

Friday, June 12

Group B: Canada vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina, 3 p.m.

Group D: USA vs. Paraguay, 9 p.m.

Saturday, June 13

Group B: Qatar vs. Switzerland, 3 p.m.

Group C: Brazil vs. Morocco, 6 p.m.

Group C: Haiti vs. Scotland, 9 p.m.

Group D: Australia vs. Türkiye, 12 a.m. (midnight)

Sunday, June 14

Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao, 1 p.m.

Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan, 4 p.m.

Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, 7 p.m.

Group F: Sweden vs. Tunisia, 10 p.m.

Monday, June 15

Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde, 12 p.m.

Group G: Belgium vs. Egypt, 3 p.m.

Group H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, 6 p.m.

Group G: Iran vs. New Zealand, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, June 16

Group I: France vs. Senegal, 3 p.m.

Group I: Iraq vs. Norway, 6 p.m.

Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria, 9 p.m.

Group J: Austria vs. Jordan, 12 a.m. (midnight)

Wednesday, June 17

Group K: Portugal vs. DR Congo, 1 p.m.

Group L: England vs. Croatia, 4 p.m.

Group L: Ghana vs. Panama, 7 p.m.

Group K: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, 10 p.m.

Thursday, June 18

Group A: Czechia vs. South Africa, 12 p.m.

Group B: Switzerland vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina, 3 p.m.

Group B: Canada vs. Qatar, 6 p.m.

Group A: Mexico vs. South Korea, 9 p.m.

Friday, June 19

Group D: USA vs. Australia, 3 p.m.

Group C: Scotland vs. Morocco, 6 p.m.

Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti, 8:30 p.m.

Group D: Türkiye vs. Paraguay, 12 a.m. (midnight)

Saturday, June 20

Group F: Netherlands vs. Sweden, 1 p.m.

Group E: Germany vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m.

Group E: Ecuador vs. Curaçao, 8 p.m.

Group F: Tunisia vs. Japan, 12 a.m. (midnight)

Sunday, June 21

Group H: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, 12 p.m.

Group G: Belgium vs. Iran, 3 p.m.

Group H: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, 6 p.m.

Group G: New Zealand vs. Egypt, 9 p.m.

Monday, June 22

Group J: Argentina vs. Austria, 1 p.m.

Group I: France vs. Iraq, 5 p.m.

Group I: Norway vs. Senegal, 8 p.m.

Group J: Jordan vs. Algeria, 11 p.m.

Tuesday, June 23

Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, 1 p.m.

Group L: England vs. Ghana, 4 p.m.

Group L: Panama vs. Croatia, 7 p.m.

Group K: Colombia vs. DR Congo, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, June 24

Group B: Switzerland vs. Canada, 3 p.m.

Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Qatar, 3 p.m.

Group C: Scotland vs. Brazil, 6 p.m.

Group C: Morocco vs. Haiti, 6 p.m.

Group A: Czechia vs. Mexico, 9 p.m.

Group A: South Africa vs. South Korea, 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 25

Group E: Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m.

Group E: Ecuador vs. Germany, 4 p.m.

Group F: Japan vs. Sweden, 7 p.m.

Group F: Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 7 p.m.

Group D: Türkiye vs. USA, 10 p.m.

Group D: Paraguay vs. Australia, 10 p.m.

Friday, June 26

Group I: Norway vs. France, 3 p.m.

Group I: Senegal vs. Iraq, 3 p.m.

Group H: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 p.m.

Group H: Uruguay vs. Spain, 8 p.m.

Group G: Egypt vs. Iran, 11 p.m.

Group G: New Zealand vs. Belgium, 11 p.m.

Saturday, June 27

Group L: Panama vs. England, 5 p.m.

Group L: Croatia vs. Ghana, 5 p.m.

Group K: Colombia vs. Portugal, 7:30 p.m.

Group K: DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, 7:30 p.m.

Group J: Algeria vs. Austria, 10 p.m.

Group J: Jordan vs. Argentina, 10 p.m.