FIFA World Cup 2026 Schedule IST: Complete match timings and dates in India
The complete schedule for the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 was officially unveiled by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during a major presentation in Washington, D.C. In an nostalgic twist of fate, co-hosts Mexico are set to launch the tournament against South Africa in a direct repeat of their iconic 2010 opening clash. For the first time in footballing history, the showpiece event will expand to include 48 nations competing for the ultimate prize, a major leap from the 13 teams that inaugurated the tournament back in 1930. Jointly staged across 16 vibrant host cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the competition will begin on 11 June, building up to a dramatic finale on 19 July (stretching to 20 July for viewers in India due to time zone differences).
FIFA World Cup 2026 Full Fixture Schedule (IST)
| Date (IST) | Kick-Off Time (IST) | Match & Group | Venue |
| Group Stage | |||
| 12 June | 1:30 AM | Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A) | Mexico City |
| 12 June | 7:30 AM | South Korea vs. UEFA Playoff D (Group A) | Guadalajara |
| 13 June | 12:30 AM | Canada vs. UEFA Playoff A (Group B) | Toronto |
| 13 June | 3:30 AM | USA vs. Paraguay (Group D) | Los Angeles |
| 13 June | 6:30 AM | Australia vs. UEFA Playoff C (Group D) | Vancouver |
| 13 June | 9:30 PM | Brazil vs. Morocco (Group C) | New York/NJ |
| 14 June | 12:30 AM | Haiti vs. Scotland (Group C) | Boston |
| 14 June | 3:30 AM | Qatar vs. Switzerland (Group B) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| 14 June | 6:30 AM | Germany vs. Curaçao (Group E) | Houston |
| 15 June | 12:30 AM | Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Group E) | Philadelphia |
| 15 June | 3:30 AM | Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F) | Dallas |
| 15 June | 6:30 AM | UEFA Playoff B vs. Tunisia (Group F) | Monterrey |
| 16 June | 12:30 AM | Spain vs. Cape Verde (Group H) | Atlanta |
| 16 June | 3:30 AM | Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Group H) | Miami |
| 16 June | 6:30 AM | Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G) | Seattle |
| 17 June | 12:30 AM | Iran vs. New Zealand (Group G) | Los Angeles |
| 17 June | 3:30 AM | France vs. Senegal (Group I) | New York/NJ |
| 17 June | 6:30 AM | FIFA Playoff 2 vs. Norway (Group I) | Boston |
| 18 June | 12:30 AM | Argentina vs. Algeria (Group J) | Kansas City |
| 18 June | 3:30 AM | Austria vs. Jordan (Group J) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| 18 June | 6:30 PM | Portugal vs. FIFA Playoff 1 (Group K) | Houston |
| 18 June | 9:30 PM | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Group K) | Mexico City |
| 19 June | 12:30 AM | England vs. Croatia (Group L) | Dallas |
| 19 June | 3:30 AM | Ghana vs. Panama (Group L) | Toronto |
| 19 June | 6:30 AM | UEFA Playoff D vs. South Africa (Group A) | Atlanta |
| 19 June | 9:30 PM | Switzerland vs. UEFA Playoff A (Group B) | Los Angeles |
| 20 June | 12:30 AM | Canada vs. Qatar (Group B) | Vancouver |
| 20 June | 3:30 AM | Mexico vs. South Korea (Group A) | Guadalajara |
| 20 June | 6:30 AM | Brazil vs. Haiti (Group C) | Philadelphia |
| 20 June | 9:30 PM | Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C) | Boston |
| 21 June | 12:30 AM | UEFA Playoff C vs. Paraguay (Group D) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| 21 June | 3:30 AM | USA vs. Australia (Group D) | Seattle |
| 21 June | 6:30 AM | Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) | Toronto |
| 21 June | 9:30 PM | Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Group E) | Kansas City |
| 22 June | 12:30 AM | Netherlands vs. UEFA Playoff B (Group F) | Houston |
| 22 June | 3:30 AM | Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F) | Monterrey |
| 22 June | 6:30 AM | Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (Group H) | Miami |
| 22 June | 9:30 PM | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) | Atlanta |
| 23 June | 12:30 AM | Belgium vs. Iran (Group G) | Los Angeles |
| 23 June | 3:30 AM | New Zealand vs. Egypt (Group G) | Vancouver |
| 23 June | 6:30 AM | Norway vs. Senegal (Group I) | New York/NJ |
| 24 June | 12:30 AM | France vs. FIFA Playoff 2 (Group I) | Philadelphia |
| 24 June | 3:30 AM | Argentina vs. Austria (Group J) | Dallas |
| 24 June | 6:30 AM | Jordan vs. Algeria (Group J) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| 25 June | 12:30 AM | England vs. Ghana (Group L) | Boston |
| 25 June | 12:30 AM | Panama vs. Croatia (Group L) | Toronto |
| 25 June | 3:30 AM | Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) | Houston |
| 25 June | 3:30 AM | Colombia vs. FIFA Playoff 1 (Group K) | Guadalajara |
| 25 June | 6:30 AM | Scotland vs. Brazil (Group C) | Miami |
| 25 June | 6:30 AM | Morocco vs. Haiti (Group C) | Atlanta |
| 26 June | 12:30 AM | Canada vs. Switzerland (Group B) | Vancouver |
| 26 June | 12:30 AM | UEFA Playoff A vs. Qatar (Group B) | Seattle |
| 26 June | 3:30 AM | Mexico vs. UEFA Playoff D (Group A) | Mexico City |
| 26 June | 3:30 AM | South Korea vs. South Africa (Group A) | Monterrey |
| 26 June | 6:30 AM | Ecuador vs. Germany (Group E) | New York/NJ |
| 26 June | 6:30 AM | Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) | Philadelphia |
| 26 June | 9:30 PM | Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Group F) | Kansas City |
| 26 June | 9:30 PM | Japan vs. UEFA Playoff B (Group F) | Dallas |
| 27 June | 12:30 AM | UEFA Playoff C vs. USA (Group D) | Los Angeles |
| 27 June | 12:30 AM | Paraguay vs. Australia (Group D) | San Francisco Bay Area |
| 27 June | 3:30 AM | Norway vs. France (Group I) | Boston |
| 27 June | 3:30 AM | Senegal vs. FIFA Playoff 2 (Group I) | Toronto |
| 27 June | 6:30 AM | New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G) | Vancouver |
| 27 June | 6:30 AM | Egypt vs. Iran (Group G) | Seattle |
| Knockout Stage | |||
| Round of 32 | 28 June – 3 July | Overwhelmingly 12:30 AM, 3:30 AM, 6:30 AM | Various Venues |
| Round of 16 | 4 July – 8 July | Overwhelmingly 12:30 AM, 3:30 AM, 6:30 AM | Various Venues |
| Quarter-finals | 9 July – 12 July | Primarily 12:30 AM & 3:30 AM | Various Venues |
| Semi-final 1 | 15 July | 1:30 AM | Arlington, TX |
| Semi-final 2 | 16 July | 1:30 AM | Atlanta, GA |
| Third-Place Playoff | 19 July | 1:30 AM | Miami |
| World Cup Final | 20 July | 12:30 AM | New York/NJ |
As the tournament shifts gears from standard formats into uncharted structural territory, football fans in India will have to navigate a grueling schedule of late-night and early-morning kick-offs. This grand sporting expansion to a record 48 teams marks a massive geopolitical and commercial milestone for FIFA, reflecting previous structural growth spurts such as the expansion to 24 teams in Spain in 1982 and the shift to 32 teams in France in 1998. With 104 matches packed into an intensive summer window, the logistical feats across the USA, Canada, and Mexico promise to serve up an unprecedented festival of football that will test the endurance of the players and dominate global media landscapes like never before.