The wait is almost over as the FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to get underway in North America in a few hours, ushering in a historic new era for international football.
Co-hosted by the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada, the 23rd edition of the tournament will be the largest World Cup ever staged, featuring 48 teams and a record 104 matches across 16 venues.
The tournament begins on June 11 with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium.
While the match is scheduled to start at 1pm local time (19:00 GMT), football fans in Pakistan will need to stay up late, with kickoff set for 12:00 AM PST on June 12.
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The expanded format means more teams, more matches and a packed 39-day schedule running through to the final on July 19.
Defending champions Argentina arrive in North America looking to retain the trophy they won in Qatar four years ago, while traditional powerhouses such as Brazil, France, England, Spain and Germany will also be among the favourites for football’s biggest prize.
With most matches taking place across North American time zones, supporters in Pakistan and across South Asia are expected to follow many fixtures during late-night and early-morning hours.
The tournament’s new structure divides the 48 participating nations into 12 groups of four teams each.
FIFA World Cup 2026 groups
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkiye
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
A total of 104 matches will be played before the world champions are crowned, making the 2026 edition the most extensive and ambitious World Cup in history.
Below is the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Pakistan Standard Time (PST).
Full schedule of FIFA World Cup 2026
Group stage
Friday, June 12
- Mexico vs South Africa — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City — 12:00 AM PKT
- South Korea vs Czechia — Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan — 7:00 AM PKT
Saturday, June 13
- Canada vs Bosnia — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 12:00 AM PKT
- USA vs Paraguay — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 6:00 AM PKT
Sunday, June 14
- Qatar vs Switzerland — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 12:00 AM PKT
- Brazil vs Morocco — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 3:00 AM PKT
- Haiti vs Scotland — Boston Stadium, Boston — 6:00 AM PKT
- Australia vs Turkiye — BC Place, Vancouver — 9:00 AM PKT
- Germany vs Curacao — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Monday, June 15
- Netherlands vs Japan — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 1:00 AM PKT
- Ivory Coast vs Ecuador — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 4:00 AM PKT
- Sweden vs Tunisia — Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe — 7:00 AM PKT
- Spain vs Cape Verde — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 9:00 PM PKT
Tuesday, June 16
- Belgium vs Egypt — BC Place, Vancouver — 12:00 AM PKT
- Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay — Miami Stadium, Miami — 3:00 AM PKT
- Iran vs New Zealand — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 6:00 AM PKT
- France vs Senegal — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 12:00 AM PKT (June 17)
Wednesday, June 17
- France vs Senegal — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 12:00 AM PKT
- Iraq vs Norway — Boston Stadium, Boston — 3:00 AM PKT
- Argentina vs Algeria — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 6:00 AM PKT
- Austria vs Jordan — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 9:00 AM PKT
- Portugal vs DRC — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Thursday, June 18
- England vs Croatia — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 1:00 AM PKT
- Ghana vs Panama — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 4:00 AM PKT
- Uzbekistan vs Colombia — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City — 7:00 AM PKT
- Czechia vs South Africa — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 9:00 PM PKT
Friday, June 19
- Switzerland vs Bosnia — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 12:00 AM PKT
- Canada vs Qatar — BC Place, Vancouver — 3:00 AM PKT
- Mexico vs South Korea — Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan — 6:00 AM PKT
- USA vs Australia — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 12:00 AM PKT (June 20)
Saturday, June 20
- USA vs Australia — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 12:00 AM PKT
- Scotland vs Morocco — Boston Stadium, Boston — 3:00 AM PKT
- Brazil vs Haiti — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 5:30 AM PKT
- Turkiye vs Paraguay — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 8:00 AM PKT
- Netherlands vs Sweden — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Sunday, June 21
- Germany vs Ivory Coast — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 1:00 AM PKT
- Ecuador vs Curacao — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 8:00 AM PKT
- Tunisia vs Japan — Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe — 9:00 AM PKT
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 9:00 PM PKT
Monday, June 22
- Belgium vs Iran — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 12:00 AM PKT
- Uruguay vs Cape Verde — Miami Stadium, Miami — 3:00 AM PKT
- New Zealand vs Egypt — BC Place, Vancouver — 6:00 AM PKT
- Argentina vs Austria — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 10:00 PM PKT
Tuesday, June 23
- France vs Iraq — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 2:00 AM PKT
- Norway vs Senegal — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 5:00 AM PKT
- Jordan vs Algeria — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 8:00 AM PKT
- Portugal vs Uzbekistan — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Wednesday, June 24
- England vs Ghana — Boston Stadium, Boston — 1:00 AM PKT
- Panama vs Croatia — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 4:00 AM PKT
- Colombia vs DRC — Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan — 7:00 AM PKT
Thursday, June 25
- Switzerland vs Canada — BC Place, Vancouver — 12:00 AM PKT
- Bosnia vs Qatar — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 12:00 AM PKT
- Scotland vs Brazil — Miami Stadium, Miami — 3:00 AM PKT
- Morocco vs Haiti — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 3:00 AM PKT
- Czechia vs Mexico — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City — 6:00 AM PKT
- South Africa vs South Korea — Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe — 6:00 AM PKT
Friday, June 26
- Ecuador vs Germany — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 1:00 AM PKT
- Curacao vs Ivory Coast — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 1:00 AM PKT
- Japan vs Sweden — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 4:00 AM PKT
- Tunisia vs Netherlands — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 4:00 AM PKT
- Turkiye vs USA — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 7:00 AM PKT
- Paraguay vs Australia — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 7:00 AM PKT
Saturday, June 27
- Norway vs France — Boston Stadium, Boston — 12:00 AM PKT
- Senegal vs Iraq — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 12:00 AM PKT
- Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia — Houston Stadium, Houston — 5:00 AM PKT
- Uruguay vs Spain — Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan — 5:00 AM PKT
- Egypt vs Iran — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 8:00 AM PKT
- New Zealand vs Belgium — BC Place, Vancouver — 8:00 AM PKT
Saturday, June 28
- Panama vs England — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 2:00 AM PKT
- Croatia vs Ghana — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 2:00 AM PKT
- Colombia vs Portugal — Miami Stadium, Miami — 4:30 AM PKT
- DRC vs Uzbekistan — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 4:30 AM PKT
- Algeria vs Austria — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 7:00 AM PKT
- Jordan vs Argentina — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 7:00 AM PKT
Round of 32
Monday, June 29
- Round of 32 Match 1 — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 12:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 2 — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Tuesday, June 30
- Round of 32 Match 3 — Boston Stadium, Boston — 1:30 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 4 — Estadio Monterrey, Guadalupe — 6:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 5 — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 10:00 PM PKT
Wednesday, July 1
- Round of 32 Match 6 — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 2:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 7 — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City — 6:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 8 — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 9:00 PM PKT
Thursday, July 2
- Round of 32 Match 9 — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 1:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 10 — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, San Francisco — 1:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 11 — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 12:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 12 — Toronto Stadium, Toronto — 4:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 13 — BC Place, Vancouver — 8:00 AM PKT
Friday, July 3
- Round of 32 Match 14 — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 11:00 PM PKT
Saturday, July 4
- Round of 32 Match 15 — Miami Stadium, Miami — 3:00 AM PKT
- Round of 32 Match 16 — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 6:30 AM PKT
Round of 16
Saturday, July 4
- Round of 16 Match 1 — Houston Stadium, Houston — 10:00 PM PKT
Sunday, July 5
- Round of 16 Match 2 — Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia — 2:00 AM PKT
- Round of 16 Match 3 — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 1:00 AM PKT (July 6)
- Round of 16 Match 4 — Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City — 5:00 AM PKT (July 6)
Monday, July 6
- Round of 16 Match 5 — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 9:00 PM PKT
Tuesday, July 7
- Round of 16 Match 6 — Seattle Stadium, Seattle — 5:00 AM PKT
- Round of 16 Match 7 — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 9:00 PM PKT
Wednesday, July 8
- Round of 16 Match 8 — BC Place, Vancouver — 1:00 AM PKT
Quarter-finals
Friday, July 10
- Quarter-final 1 — Boston Stadium, Boston — 1:00 AM PKT
Saturday, July 11
- Quarter-final 2 — Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles — 12:00 AM PKT
Sunday, July 12
- Quarter-final 3 — Miami Stadium, Miami — 1:00 AM PKT
- Quarter-final 4 — Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City — 6:00 AM PKT
Semi-finals
Wednesday, July 15
- Semi-final 1 — Dallas Stadium, Dallas — 12:00 AM PKT
Thursday, July 16
- Semi-final 2 — Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta — 12:00 AM PKT
Third-Place Match
Sunday, July 19
- Third-Place Match — Miami Stadium, Miami — 2:00 AM PKT
Final
Monday, July 20
- Final — New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey — 12:00 AM PKT
READ: World Cup 2026 opening ceremony: Pakistan time, date, performer list
