World Cup 2026 Schedule: Dates, Matches & Key Games
Complete guide with prices, dates, venues, and how to pay with crypto or installments
Where
The FIFA World Cup 2026 starts June 11 and wraps up with the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27, with the knockout rounds kicking off June 30. Mark July 19 for the title match.
World Cup 2026 Schedule: All the Key Dates, Cities, and Tips for Planning Your Trip
World cup 2026 schedule details are some of the most searched for travel info this year, and fans are already mapping out their trips. The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from June 11 to July 19, with matches in 16 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. If you want to lock in your event tickets, hotels, and flights all in one place, Travorio makes it easy to sort by price, location, and payment method, including Sezzle pay-in-4 and more than 100 cryptocurrencies. You can browse events on Travorio to see the full ticket selection.
Compared to previous tournaments, 2026 is going to be massive, both in terms of the number of games and the distances between venues. With 48 teams and 104 matches spread across North America, it's worth planning ahead so you don't miss key moments like the opening match in Mexico City or the final at MetLife Stadium. Major airlines like United, Delta, Air Canada, and Aeromexico will be adding extra flights, but hotels in host cities like New York, Dallas, and Vancouver have already seen a surge in bookings. The trick is figuring out which matches you want to see live and then plotting your route around the official world cup 2026 match schedule.
Complete Schedule Overview
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has a packed calendar: matches kick off June 11 and the final is set for July 19. That’s 39 days of football, with group stage play taking place from June 11 to June 27. The knockout rounds begin June 30 and run through the quarterfinals on July 9-11, semifinals on July 14-15, the third-place match on July 18, and the grand finale on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
With 48 teams, the group stage is longer than past tournaments, but there’s a rest day after the group phase (June 28-29) before the Round of 32. Knockout rounds see matches spread across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, but all games from the quarterfinals onward are in the U.S. The FIFA world cup 2026 schedule features 104 matches, up from 64 in 2022, and you’ll find several double-header days during early rounds.
Rest days fall after the group stage and before the quarterfinals and semifinals. The semifinals (July 14-15) will be split between Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The third-place match takes place July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which is expected to be a party atmosphere regardless of who’s playing.
For travel planning, it’s important to map out where your favorite teams are playing, as the group stage is especially regionalized. Later rounds concentrate on east and central U.S. cities, making multi-game trips easier as the tournament progresses.
Group Stage Schedule
The group stage runs from June 11 through June 27, with matches nearly every day across 16 host cities. Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca hosts the opening match on June 11. Other major cities with key matchups include Toronto’s BMO Field, which hosts Canada’s opener on June 12, and Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, where Group G’s top seed debuts on June 13.
Each group has three teams, and with 16 groups total, there are four matches per day in the opening week. Most days, you’ll find a mix of afternoon and evening kickoffs. For example, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium has 3 pm and 7:30 pm starts, while Seattle’s Lumen Field hosts two matches on June 15, one at noon and another at 6 pm local time. The final group games for each set are played simultaneously to ensure fair results, so expect a dramatic finish on June 27 with up to eight matches split across multiple cities.
Groups are distributed regionally to cut down on travel. For instance, Group B mostly plays in Vancouver, Seattle, and San Francisco, while Group E is centered in Houston, Dallas, and Kansas City. The U.S. MNT will play their opening matches in Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Atlanta. Mexico’s group is anchored in Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. This setup helps fans follow their team without too much cross-country flying.
Prime time matches line up with Eastern and Central time zones, so broadcast kickoffs for big games (like U.S. vs. Mexico, if drawn together) are typically at 8 pm ET or 7 pm CT. For fans chasing multiple games in one city, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles are your best bets, with as many as five group games each.
Knockout Round and Final Schedule
The knockout rounds start right after the group stage rest days, with the Round of 32 running from June 30 to July 3. These matches take place in nine U.S. cities: Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Atlanta, Kansas City, Boston, New York/New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Each day features two to three matches, with staggered kickoffs so you can catch multiple games on TV or, if lucky, in person.
Round of 16 matches are scheduled from July 5 to July 8. Dallas’ AT&T Stadium and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium host two matches each during this round, making them great home bases for fans. Quarterfinals are set for July 9-11 in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and Atlanta. The semifinal venues are Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (July 14) and AT&T Stadium in Arlington (July 15). Rest days are built in between these rounds to allow for team travel and recovery.
The third-place match is July 18 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium, which seats 82,500 and is about 14 miles from Manhattan. The atmosphere around the final is expected to be wild, with fan zones planned in Times Square and Jersey City. For the semifinals and final, FIFA allocates more tickets to international fans, so expect a truly global crowd.
If you want a shot at seeing the final stages, plan to arrive in the New York area no later than July 17 to soak up the pre-final buzz and avoid last-minute transit surprises, as regional trains and hotels will be packed.
Key Dates to Book Around
If you’re looking to catch the spectacle, the opening ceremony and first match are June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. The U.S. Men’s National Team (MNT) opens play June 12 in Los Angeles, and Canada’s opener in Toronto is June 12 as well. The busiest group stage days are June 21-23, with six matches per day in cities like Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.
Quarterfinal weekend falls July 9-11, with matches in Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. Semifinals are July 14 (Atlanta) and July 15 (Dallas). The third-place match is July 18 in Miami, while the final is July 19 at MetLife Stadium. If you’re only coming for a short trip, aim for June 21-23 (group stage drama), July 9-11 (quarterfinals party), or July 17-19 (semifinals/final).
For a week-long trip, June 20-27 lets you catch crucial group deciders and at least one knockout match. If you’re after the final, plan to fly into one of NYC’s three major airports (JFK, EWR, or LGA) by July 16 or 17. Most international fans will use New York as a base, but Philadelphia and Newark hotels are often cheaper and only 20-35 minutes by train from MetLife Stadium.
Booking trains between Philly, New York, and Boston is easy with Amtrak, which runs the Northeast Regional line every hour for about $49 one-way. Domestic flights between host cities like Dallas, Miami, and Los Angeles are frequent on American, United, and Delta, but July fares already start around $240 for nonstop routes.
How to Plan Your Trip Around the Schedule
Picking which world cup 2026 fixtures to see depends on your budget and wishlist. If you want the wildest atmosphere, target the opening match, the U.S. or Mexico group games, or any knockout round in Dallas or Miami. For a 3-day trip, focus on a single city with multiple matches, such as Dallas (five group games), Houston (four), or Los Angeles (four). For a week, you can catch group stage drama and a knockout match, try June 20-27 in Houston or Atlanta.
For the ultimate football holiday, some fans are planning full-tournament itineraries, hopping between cities. Travorio’s flight search (search flights on Travorio) includes options like United’s LAX-EWR direct (5 hours, from $320 roundtrip) or Air Canada’s Vancouver-Toronto (4.5 hours, from $270). Budget airlines like Flair and Lynx cover shorter hops in Canada, and Southwest offers several daily Dallas-Houston flights for as low as $89.
Hotels in host cities vary wildly: you’ll find chain options like Hilton Anatole Dallas ($168/night group stage), Hyatt Regency Miami ($217/night), and Fairmont Royal York Toronto ($235/night). Airbnb is popular in host cities, but prices surge on matchdays, especially in New York and Los Angeles. Travorio’s hotel tool (search hotels) pulls rates from 200+ suppliers, so you can spot sudden price drops.
Most fans underestimate travel time between U.S. cities. New York to Dallas is 3:40 by air, LA to Houston is 3:10, and Seattle to Vancouver is just 2:25 by train on Amtrak Cascades (from $34). Booking early is key for the best rates, especially for semifinal and final weekends.
Book Tickets and Travel with Travorio
Travorio lets you buy FIFA World Cup 2026 event tickets using 100+ cryptocurrencies, Sezzle’s pay-in-4 option for U.S./Canada, or PayPal Pay Later. You can buy event tickets directly, and if you want to split up payments, pay later for events is simple to set up, no credit check needed for Sezzle up to $2,500.
For hotels, Travorio compares rates across 200+ suppliers, including Expedia, Booking.com, and Agoda, so you’ll see everything from budget hostels in Mexico City ($41/night at Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral) to luxury suites at Four Seasons New York Downtown ($1,120/night during the final). You can filter for free cancellation or pay-later options if your plans aren’t set in stone.
Flights between host cities are displayed with real-time prices. For example, Miami to Atlanta on Delta is 2 hours, and during the quarterfinals, fares start at $159 one-way. If you want to fly from Toronto to Boston for a group stage doubleheader, Air Canada and JetBlue both operate this route, usually in under 2 hours. Travorio shows both legacy and low-cost carriers, so you don’t miss last-minute deals.
The real advantage is bundling: you can add event tickets, hotels, flights, and even transfers in one booking. If you’re using crypto, Travorio accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and dozens of others. For those wanting to spread out expenses, Sezzle’s pay-in-4 and PayPal Pay Later are available at checkout on eligible tickets and hotels.
Key Tournament Dates
Trip Planning Quick Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions answered clearly and concisely
The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on June 11 with the opening ceremony and match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. That’s a Wednesday, so plan to arrive by June 10 if you want to catch all the festivities. Group stage matches begin the following day in several cities. Early ticket holders usually get stadium access three hours before kickoff.
The World Cup 2026 final is scheduled for July 19, a Sunday, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The match is expected to kick off at 3 pm local time (ET). If you want to be in the area for pre-final parties and fan zones, try to arrive by July 17.
There will be 104 matches in total, which is a record for the tournament. This includes 72 group stage games, 16 in the Round of 32, 8 in the Round of 16, 4 quarterfinals, 2 semifinals, a third-place match, and the final. The expanded format comes from having 48 teams instead of 32.
The final takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside Manhattan. The stadium seats over 82,000 and is about a 25-minute train ride from Penn Station in New York City. This venue previously hosted major events like Super Bowl XLVIII and multiple Copa América matches.
There are scheduled rest days on June 28-29 after the group stage, July 4 before the Round of 16, July 12-13 before the semifinals, and July 16-17 leading up to the third-place and final matches. These breaks give teams time to travel and recover, and fans can use them for sightseeing or city-hopping.
Yes, cities like Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami host several group stage and knockout matches. Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, for example, has five group games and two knockout matches. To attend multiple games, check the official match schedule for back-to-back days or doubleheaders in the same venue.
For group stage action and the biggest crowds, target June 21-23, when most cities host two matches per day. If you want knockout drama, July 9-11 covers the quarterfinals in Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, and LA. For the final, plan for July 17-19 in New York/New Jersey and surrounding cities.
Matches are spread across Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones, so kickoff times vary from noon to 9 pm local. For example, a 6 pm match in Los Angeles (Pacific) is 9 pm in New York (Eastern). Most marquee matches are scheduled for Eastern or Central prime time for TV audiences.
In the U.S., Fox Sports and Telemundo will broadcast all matches, with live streams on Fox Sports app and Peacock for Spanish coverage. Canada has TSN, CTV, and RDS, while Mexico will use Televisa and TV Azteca. Exact TV times are announced in early 2026 once matchups are confirmed.
For the best rates and choice of hotels, book at least 6-9 months in advance, especially for the knockout rounds and final. Flights between host cities are already filling up for key matchdays, and many hotels in New York and Dallas require a 3-night minimum stay during July. Travorio shows both refundable and pay-later options if your plans might change.
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