WASHINGTON -- FIFA announced the start times for the tournament's 104 matches on Saturday, a day after the draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament, with the final set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on July 19.
The kickoff time for the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, allows for prime-time viewing in continental Europe, where it will be 9 p.m., and Britain, where it will be 8 p.m.
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The average 3 p.m. temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 83 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
Nine of the 10 World Cup finals from 1978 through 2014 started in the 2-3:30 p.m. ET range. The exception was in 2002 in Japan, which began at 7 a.m. ET. The 2018 final started at 11 a.m. ET and the 2022 championship of a tournament shifted to winter in Qatar at 10 a.m. ET.
The 1994 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
FIFA announced the schedule and sites after factoring in travel and broadcast.
"Let's just say it's been a long night -- or a short night," chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria said. "As I explained earlier to some of the coaches, we've tried to basically strike the right balance looking at the preparation, the recovery that the teams have to do in this very large footprint, the biggest World Cup ever, 16 cities, three countries, different climatic conditions, time zones."
Zubira said goals included "trying to minimize travel for the teams and the fans to try to see their teams play, and obviously trying to see how to best expose this competition to the world, trying to find the right times for the kickoff times in specific cities, taking into consideration some restrictions."
The World Cup opener at Mexico City on June 11 between El Tri and South Africa will start at 3 p.m. ET.
Semifinals will start at 3 p.m. ET on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and 3 p.m. the following day at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, both of which have retractable roofs.
Quarterfinals will begin at 4 p.m. on July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and noon (3 p.m. ET) the following day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The last two quarterfinals are on July 11, starting at 5 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and 8 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Of the quarterfinal venues, SoFi has a roof but air from the outside can flow in, and the other three are open air.
FIFA announced on Feb. 4 last year that the final was scheduled for New Jersey, and that June 12 revealed site-specific matchups for games in the new round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals.
104 matches. Locked in.
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2025
The #FIFAWorldCup 2026™ match schedule ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ZYofjO8z41
Seventy-eight games will be in the U.S., including all from the quarterfinals on, and 13 apiece in Canada and Mexico.
During an event at the Capital Hilton, FIFA also announced sites of the 54 group stage games not finalized with Friday's draw, which fixed venues for only Groups A, B and D, which include co-hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States.
South Korea is the only team other than Canada and Mexico with no games in the U.S., playing its opener in Guadalajara against the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland or North Macedonia, then facing El Tri at the same venue and finishing the round against South Africa in Monterrey.
The U.S. men's national team's first-round games will be a 9 p.m. ET start against Paraguay at Inglewood on June 12, a 3 p.m. ET kickoff vs. Australia at Seattle seven days later, and a 7 p.m. start on June 25 at SoFi against Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia or Kosovo.
Japan's Group F game against Tunisia at Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20 will be the 1,000th World Cup match.
Germany's June 14 Group E opener against Curaçao will kick off at noon local (1 p.m. ET) at NRG Stadium. Curaçao has the smallest population of a country to reach the World Cup at about 150,000.
"It will be played in Houston, which is a closed venue, indoor, so nobody can complain about heat or weather or wind or whatever," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
FULL SCHEDULE
Group stage
Thursday, June 11:
Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa (Mexico City), 1 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group A: South Korea vs. UEFA playoff path 2 winner (Zapopan, Mexico), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 12:
Group B: Canada vs. UEFA playoff path 1 winner (Toronto), 3 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group D: United States vs. Paraguay (Inglewood, Calif.), 6 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 13:
Group B: Qatar vs. Switzerland (Santa Clara, Calif.), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group C: Brazil vs. Morocco (East Rutherford, New Jersey), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group C: Haiti vs. Scotland (Foxborough, Mass.), 9 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Group D: Australia vs. UEFA playoff path 3 winner (Vancouver, Canada), 9 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET 6/14
Sunday, June 14:
Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (Arlington, Texas), 3 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Philadelphia), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group F: UEFA playoff path 2 winner vs. Tunisia (Guadalupe, Mexico), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Monday, June 15:
Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde (Atlanta), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group G: Belgium vs. Egypt (Seattle), 3 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group G: Iran vs. New Zealand (Inglewood, Calif.), 9 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET 6/16
Tuesday, June 16:
Group I: France vs. Senegal (East Rutherford, N.J.), 3 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group I: FIFA playoff winner 2 vs. Norway (Foxborough, Mass.), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria (Kansas City, Mo.), 8 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Group J: Austria vs. Jordan (Santa Clara, Calif.), 9 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET 6/17
Wednesday, June 17:
Group K: Portugal vs. FIFA playoff winner 1 (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group L: England vs. Croatia (Arlington, Texas), 3 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group L: Ghana vs. Panama (Toronto), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group K: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Mexico City), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET 6/18
Thursday, June 18:
Group A: UEFA playoff path 2 winner vs. South Africa (Atlanta), 12 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Group B: Switzerland vs. UEFA playoff path 1 winner (Inglewood, Calif.), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group B: Canada vs. Qatar (Vancouver, Canada), 3 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group A: Mexico vs. South Korea (Zapopan, Mexico), 9 p.m. local / 11 p.m. ET
Friday, June 19:
Group D: United States vs. Australia (Seattle), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group C: Scotland vs. Morocco (Foxborough, Mass.), 6 p.m. ET
Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti (Philadelphia), 9 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Group D: UEFA playoff path 3 winner vs. Paraguay (Santa Clara, Calif.), 9 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET 6/20
Saturday, June 20:
Group F: Netherlands vs. UEFA playoff path 2 winner (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET 6/20
Group E: Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Toronto), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group E: Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Kansas City, Mo.), 7 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Group F: Tunisia vs. Japan (Guadalupe, Mexico), 10 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET 6/21
Sunday, June 21:
Group H: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Atlanta), 12 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Group G: Belgium vs. Iran (Inglewood, Calif.), noon local / 3 p.m. ET
Group H: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group G: New Zealand vs. Egypt (Vancouver), 6 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Monday, June 22:
Group J: Argentina vs. Austria (Arlington, Texas), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group I: France vs. FIFA playoff winner 2 (Philadelphia), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Group I: Norway vs. Senegal (East Rutherford, N.J.), 8 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Group J: Jordan vs. Algeria (Santa Clara, Calif.), 8 p.m. local / 11 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 23:
Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group L: England vs. Ghana (Foxborough, Mass.), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group L: Panama vs. Croatia (Toronto), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group K: Colombia vs. FIFA playoff winner 1 (Zapopan, Mexico), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, June 24:
Group B: Switzerland vs. Canada (Vancouver, Canada), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group B: UEFA playoff path 1 winner vs. Qatar (Seattle), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group C: Scotland vs. Brazil (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group C: Morocco vs. Haiti (Atlanta), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group A: UEFA playoff path 1 winner vs. Mexico (Mexico City), 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Group A: South Africa vs. South Korea (Guadalupe, Mexico), 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Thursday, June 25:
Group E: Ecuador vs. Germany (East Rutherford, N.J.), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group E: Curacao vs. Ivory Coast (Philadelphia), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group F: Japan vs. UEFA playoff path 2 winner (Arlington, Texas), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group F: Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Kansas City, Mo.), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group D: UEFA playoff path 3 winner vs. United States (Inglewood, Calif.), 7 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Group D: Paraguay vs. Australia (Santa Clara, Calif.), 7 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 26:
Group I: Norway vs. France (Foxborough, Mass.), 3 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group I: Senegal vs. FIFA playoff winner 2 (Toronto), 3 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group H: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Houston), 7 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Group H: Uruguay vs. Spain (Zapopan, Mexico), 6 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Group G: Egypt vs. Iran (Seattle), 8 p.m. local / 11 p.m. ET
Group G: New Zealand vs. Belgium (Vancouver, Canada), 8 p.m. local / 11 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 27:
Group L: Panama vs. England (East Rutherford, N.J.), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Group L: Croatia vs. Ghana (Philadelphia), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Group K: Colombia vs. Portugal (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 7:30 p.m. local / 7:30 p.m. ET
Group K: FIFA playoff winner 1 vs. Uzbekistan (Atlanta Stadium), 7:30 p.m. local / 7:30 p.m. ET
Group J: Algeria vs. Austria (Kansas City, Mo.), 9 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Group J: Jordan vs. Argentina (Arlington, Texas), 9 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Round of 32
Sunday, June 28:
Group A runners-up vs. Group B runners-up (Inglewood, Calif.), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Monday, June 29:
Group C winners vs. Group F runners-up (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group E winners vs. Group A/B/C/D/F third place (Foxborough, Mass.), 4:30 p.m. local / 4:30 p.m. ET
Group F winners vs. Group C runners-up (Guadalupe, Mexico), 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 30:
Group E runners-up vs. Group I runners-up (Arlington, Texas), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Group I winners vs. Group C/D/F/G/H third place (East Rutherford, N.J.), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Group A winners vs. Group C/E/F/H/I third place (Mexico City), 7 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Wednesday, July 1:
Group L winners vs. Group E/H/I/J/K third place (Atlanta), 12 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Group G winners vs. Group A/E/H/I/J third place (Seattle), 1 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group D winners vs. Group B/E/F/I/J third place (Santa Clara, Calif.), 5 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 2:
Group H winners v. Group J runners-up (Inglewood, Calif.), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group K runners-up v. Group L runners-up (Toronto), 7 p.m. local / 7 p.m. ET
Group B winners v. Group E/F/G/I/J third place (Vancouver, Canada), 8 p.m. local / 11 p.m. ET
Friday, July 3:
Group D runners-up vs. Group G runners-up (Arlington, Texas), 12 p.m. local / 2 p.m. ET
Group J winners vs. Group H runners-up (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 6 p.m. local / 6 p.m. ET
Group K winners vs. Group D/E/I/J/L third place (Kansas City, Mo.), 8:30 p.m. local / 9:30 p.m. ET
Round of 16
Saturday, July 4:
Round of 16 match 1 (Houston), 12 p.m. local / 1 p.m. ET
Round of 16 match 2 (Philadelphia), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Sunday, July 5:
Round of 16 match 3 (East Rutherford, N.J.), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Round of 16 match 4 (Mexico City), 6 p.m. local / 8 p.m. ET
Monday, July 6:
Round of 16 match 5 (Arlington, Texas), 2 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Round of 16 match 6 (Seattle), 2 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 7:
Round of 16 match 7 (Atlanta), 12 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET
Round of 16 match 8 (Vancouver, Canada), 1 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
Thursday, July 9:
Quarterfinal 1 (Foxborough, Mass.), 4 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Friday, July 10:
Quarterfinal 2: (Inglewood, Calif.), 12 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 11:
Quarterfinal 3 (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Quarterfinal 4 (Kansas City, Mo.), 8 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Semifinals
Tuesday, July 14:
Semifinal 1 (Arlington, Texas), 2 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Wednesday, July 15:
Semifinal 2 (Atlanta), 3 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Third-place game -- Saturday, July 18 (Miami Gardens, Fla.), 5 p.m. local / 5 p.m. ET
Final -- Sunday, July 19 (East Rutherford, N.J.) 3 p.m. ET
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.