England begin their World Cup matches in Dallas, taking on Croatia at 9pm UK time, while Scotland face Haiti at 2am UK time.
Thomas Tuchel’s side would have preferred Toronto to be chosen as the venue for the opening game given the proximity of the second and third group games, but after FIFA’s Saturday schedule announcement, it will now begin in Texas on June 17.
England then face Ghana in Boston on June 23rd with a 9pm BST kick-off, before completing their Group L match against Panama on June 27th with a 10pm kick-off between New York and New Jersey.
Scotland’s first game against Haiti will be played in the early hours of June 14, with fans who have not traveled to the US staying up all night for the game, followed by group games against Morocco and Brazil at 11pm UK time.
Scotland will play Haiti and Morocco in Boston (June 19) before traveling to Miami to face Brazil (June 24).
If Northern Ireland or Wales make it through the play-offs, they will face Canada in Toronto, Switzerland in Los Angeles and Qatar in Seattle, with each group game kicking off at 8pm UK time.
All groups for the 2026 World Cup
The Republic of Ireland will also qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the play-offs, with the possibility of playing co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A. If they win, their home country fans will likely be able to watch the match late at night. The opener could be at 3 a.m., the second game at 5 p.m. and the third game at 2 a.m.
The 2026 World Cup final will be held on July 19th at New York/New Jersey (MetLife) Stadium. Kickoff will take place at 3pm local time. That means 8pm UK time.
FIFA said it took into account issues such as recovery, climate and travel distance when planning the match’s specific location and kick-off time.
FIFA was considering making some changes to kick-off times after extreme heat affected some matches at the Club World Cup.
World Cup full match schedule list
The World Cup is a complete draw
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Republic of Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Wales/Northern Ireland/Italy/Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Poland/Ukraine/Sweden/Albania
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq, or Bolivia/Suriname
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Jamaica/New Caledonia
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
Main dates of the World Cup
Group Stage: June 11th-27th
Round of 32: June 28th to July 3rd
Round 16: July 4-7
Quarterfinals: July 9th-11th
Semi-finals: July 14th-15th
3rd place match (“Bronze Final”): July 18th
Last day: July 19th
