The 2026 FIFA World Cup the biggest in history with 48 teams, 104 matches, and 37 days of football across the United States, Canada, and Mexico is officially underway. Whether you are tracking England’s path to glory, following African nations like Morocco, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, or simply want to know exactly when every match kicks off in East Africa Time (EAT), this is your complete guide to every fixture from the June 11 opener to the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
All times below are provided in East Africa Time (EAT = UTC+3) for fans in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and across the region.
๐ 2026 World Cup โ Key Tournament Dates
- Tournament opener: Mexico 2-0 South Africa โ June 11, Estadio Azteca
- Group stage: June 11 โ June 27
- Round of 32: June 28 โ July 3
- Round of 16: July 4 โ July 7
- Quarter-finals: July 9 โ July 12
- Semi-finals: July 14 โ July 15
- Third-place play-off: July 18 โ Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
- World Cup Final: July 19 โ MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
- Total matches: 104
- Total teams: 48 (first time in World Cup history)
Key Dates: Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 World Cup Format
The 2026 World Cup is the first ever to feature 48 teams up from 32 in previous tournaments divided into 12 groups of four teams. For the first time in World Cup history, the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to a new Round of 32 before the familiar Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final stages.
This expanded format means more matches, more nations in contention for longer, and more opportunities for upsets and giant-killings than any previous edition of the tournament. For African fans watching from Kenya, the presence of nine African nations the continent’s biggest ever World Cup contingent makes this the most exciting tournament in African football history.
What is the new Round of 32 format at the 2026 World Cup?
The Round of 32 is a new stage introduced for the 2026 World Cup to accommodate the expanded 48-team format. After the group stage, the top two from each of the 12 groups (24 teams) plus the eight best third-placed finishers (8 teams) advance to 16 second-round matches played from June 28 to July 3. Winners progress to the traditional Round of 16.
All 12 Groups at the 2026 World Cup
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, Qatar
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
- Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
- 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
England’s Full 2026 World Cup Fixture Schedule (EAT)
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England โ Group L Fixtures
- Game 1: England vs Croatia โ Wednesday June 18, AT&T Stadium, Dallas โ midnight EAT
- Game 2: England vs Ghana โ Wednesday June 24, Gillette Stadium, Boston โ midnight EAT
- Game 3: Panama vs England โ Sunday June 28, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey โ 1am EAT
England open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia a repeat of their 2018 semi-final, which England won 2-1 on their way to fourth place. Thomas Tuchel’s side are among the tournament favorites, with Harry Kane as captain and one of the most complete squads England have assembled in decades. The Group L draw is favorable a potential Round of 32 berth should be secured well before the final group game against Panama.
African Teams’ Key Fixtures at the 2026 World Cup (EAT)
With nine African nations at the 2026 World Cup the continent’s largest ever representation there is more African football to follow than at any previous tournament. Here are the key group stage fixtures for every African team:
๐ African Nations โ 2026 World Cup Group Stage Fixtures (EAT)
- Morocco (Group C): Brazil (June 14, 2am) | Scotland (June 20, 2am) | Haiti (June 25, 2am)
- South Africa (Group A): Mexico (June 11 โ LOST 0-2) | Czech Republic (June 19, 8pm) | South Korea (June 26, 5am)
- Senegal (Group I): France (June 17, 11pm) | Norway (June 24, 4am) | Iraq (June 27, 11pm)
- Ivory Coast (Group E): Ecuador (June 16, 3am) | Germany (June 21, midnight) | Curacao (June 26, midnight)
- Egypt (Group G): Belgium (June 16, 11pm) | New Zealand (June 23, 5am) | Iran (June 28, 7am)
- Morocco (Group C): Brazil (June 14, 2am) | Scotland (June 20, 2am) | Haiti (June 25, 2am)
- Tunisia (Group F): Sweden (June 16, 6am) | Japan (June 22, 8am) | Netherlands (June 27, 3am)
- Cape Verde (Group H): Spain (June 16, 8pm) | Uruguay (June 22, 2am) | Saudi Arabia (June 28, 4am)
- DR Congo (Group K): Portugal (June 18, 9pm) | Colombia (June 25, 6am) | Uzbekistan (June 29, 3.30am)
- Algeria (Group J): Argentina (June 18, 5am) | Jordan (June 24, 7am) | Austria (June 29, 6am)
Full Group Stage Schedule โ All Matches in East Africa Time (EAT)
Thursday June 11
- Group A: Mexico 2-0 South Africa โ Mexico City โ
Friday June 12 (EAT)
- Group A: South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic โ Zapopan, Mexico
- Group B: Canada 1-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina โ Toronto, Canada
Saturday June 13 (EAT)
- Group D: USA 4-1 Paraguay โ Los Angeles โ
- Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland โ 11pm EAT, Santa Clara
- Group C: Brazil vs Morocco โ 2am EAT (Sun), New Jersey
Sunday June 14 (EAT)
- Group C: Haiti vs Scotland โ 5am EAT, Boston
- Group D: Australia vs Turkey โ 8am EAT, Vancouver
- Group E: Germany vs Curacao โ 9pm EAT, Houston
- Group F: Netherlands vs Japan โ midnight EAT (Mon), Arlington
Monday June 15 (EAT)
- Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador โ 3am EAT, Philadelphia
- Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia โ 6am EAT, Guadalupe
- Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde โ 8pm EAT, Atlanta
- Group G: Belgium vs Egypt โ 11pm EAT, Seattle
- Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay โ 2am EAT (Tue), Miami
Tuesday June 16 (EAT)
- Group G: Iran vs New Zealand โ 5am EAT, Los Angeles
- Group I: France vs Senegal โ 11pm EAT, New Jersey
- Group I: Iraq vs Norway โ 2am EAT (Wed), Boston
Wednesday June 17 (EAT)
- Group J: Argentina vs Algeria โ 5am EAT, Kansas City
- Group J: Austria vs Jordan โ 8am EAT, Santa Clara
- Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo โ 9pm EAT, Houston
- Group L: England vs Croatia โ midnight EAT (Thu), Dallas
Thursday June 18 (EAT)
- Group L: Ghana vs Panama โ 3am EAT, Toronto
- Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia โ 6am EAT, Mexico City
- Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa โ 8pm EAT, Atlanta
- Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina โ 11pm EAT, Los Angeles
- Group B: Canada vs Qatar โ 2am EAT (Fri), Vancouver
Friday June 19 (EAT)
- Group A: Mexico vs South Korea โ 5am EAT, Zapopan
- Group D: USA vs Australia โ 11pm EAT, Seattle
- Group C: Scotland vs Morocco โ 2am EAT (Sat), Boston
Saturday June 20 (EAT)
- Group C: Brazil vs Haiti โ 4:30am EAT, Philadelphia
- Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay โ 7am EAT, Santa Clara
- Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden โ 9pm EAT, Houston
- Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast โ midnight EAT (Sun), Toronto
Sunday June 21 (EAT)
- Group E: Ecuador vs Curacao โ 4am EAT, Kansas City
- Group F: Tunisia vs Japan โ 8am EAT, Guadalupe
- Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia โ 8pm EAT, Atlanta
- Group G: Belgium vs Iran โ 11pm EAT, Los Angeles
- Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde โ 2am EAT (Mon), Miami
Monday June 22 (EAT)
- Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt โ 5am EAT, Vancouver
- Group J: Argentina vs Austria โ 9pm EAT, Arlington
- Group I: France vs Iraq โ 1am EAT (Tue), Philadelphia
Tuesday June 23 (EAT)
- Group I: Norway vs Senegal โ 4am EAT, Toronto
- Group J: Jordan vs Algeria โ 7am EAT, Santa Clara
- Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan โ 9pm EAT, Houston
- Group L: England vs Ghana โ midnight EAT (Wed), Boston
Wednesday June 24 (EAT)
- Group L: Panama vs Croatia โ 3am EAT, Boston
- Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo โ 6am EAT, Zapopan
- Group B: Switzerland vs Canada โ 11pm EAT, Vancouver
- Group B: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar โ 11pm EAT, Seattle
- Group C: Morocco vs Haiti โ 2am EAT (Thu), Atlanta
- Group C: Scotland vs Brazil โ 2am EAT (Thu), Miami
Thursday June 25 (EAT)
- Group A: South Africa vs South Korea โ 5am EAT, Guadalupe
- Group A: Czech Republic vs Mexico โ 5am EAT, Mexico City
- Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast โ midnight EAT (Fri), Philadelphia
- Group E: Ecuador vs Germany โ midnight EAT (Fri), New Jersey
Friday June 26 (EAT)
- Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands โ 3am EAT, Kansas City
- Group F: Japan vs Sweden โ 3am EAT, Arlington
- Group D: Turkey vs USA โ 6am EAT, Los Angeles
- Group D: Paraguay vs Australia โ 6am EAT, Santa Clara
- Group I: Norway vs France โ 11pm EAT, Boston
- Group I: Senegal vs Iraq โ 11pm EAT, Toronto
Saturday June 27 (EAT)
- Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia โ 4am EAT, Houston
- Group H: Uruguay vs Spain โ 4am EAT, Zapopan
- Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium โ 7am EAT, Vancouver
- Group G: Egypt vs Iran โ 7am EAT, Seattle
- Group L: Panama vs England โ 1am EAT (Sun), New Jersey
- Group L: Croatia vs Ghana โ 1am EAT (Sun), Philadelphia
Sunday June 28 (EAT)
- Group K: Colombia vs Portugal โ 3:30am EAT, Miami
- Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan โ 3:30am EAT, Atlanta
- Group J: Algeria vs Austria โ 6am EAT, Kansas City
- Group J: Jordan vs Argentina โ 6am EAT, Arlington
Knockout Stage Schedule: Round of 32 to the World Cup Final (EAT)
Round of 32 โ June 28 to July 4
- June 28: Match 73 โ Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-up โ 11pm EAT, Los Angeles
- June 29: Match 76 โ Group C winners vs Group F runners-up โ 9pm EAT, Houston
- June 29: Match 74 โ Group E winners vs best 3rd place โ 12:30am EAT, Boston
- June 30: Match 75 โ Group F winners vs Group C runners-up โ 5am EAT, Guadalupe
- June 30: Match 78 โ Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-up โ 9pm EAT, Arlington
- June 30: Match 77 โ Group I winners vs best 3rd place โ 1am EAT, New Jersey
- July 1: Match 79 โ Group A winners vs best 3rd place โ 5am EAT, Mexico City
- July 1: Match 80 โ Group L winners vs best 3rd place โ 8pm EAT, Atlanta
- July 1: Match 82 โ Group G winners vs best 3rd place โ midnight EAT, Seattle
- July 2: Match 81 โ Group D winners vs best 3rd place โ 4am EAT, Santa Clara
- July 2: Match 84 โ Group H winners vs Group J runners-up โ 11pm EAT, Los Angeles
- July 3: Match 83 โ Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-up โ 3am EAT, Toronto
- July 3: Match 85 โ Group B winners vs best 3rd place โ 7am EAT, Vancouver
- July 3: Match 88 โ Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-up โ 10pm EAT, Arlington
- July 3: Match 86 โ Group J winners vs Group H runners-up โ 2am EAT, Miami
- July 4: Match 87 โ Group K winners vs best 3rd place โ 5:30am EAT, Kansas City
Round of 16 โ July 4 to July 7
- July 4: Match 90 โ 9pm EAT, Houston | Match 89 โ 1am EAT, Philadelphia
- July 5: Match 91 โ midnight EAT, New Jersey
- July 6: Match 92 โ 4am EAT, Mexico City | Match 93 โ 11pm EAT, Arlington
- July 7: Match 94 โ 4am EAT, Seattle | Match 95 โ 8pm EAT, Atlanta | Match 96 โ midnight EAT, Vancouver
Quarter-finals โ July 9 to July 12
- July 9: QF1 โ midnight EAT, Boston
- July 10: QF2 โ 11pm EAT, Los Angeles
- July 11: QF3 โ 1am EAT, Miami
- July 12: QF4 โ 5am EAT, Kansas City
Semi-finals, Third Place & Final
- July 14: Semi-final 1 โ 11pm EAT, AT&T Stadium, Arlington
- July 15: Semi-final 2 โ 11pm EAT, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- July 18: Third-place play-off โ 1am EAT, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
- July 19: ๐ World Cup Final โ 11pm EAT, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions: 2026 World Cup Schedule
When does the 2026 World Cup start and end?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup started on June 11, 2026 with Mexico vs South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The tournament concludes with the World Cup Final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. The full tournament spans 37 days and features 104 matches.
How many teams are at the 2026 World Cup?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup features 48 teams the largest field in the tournament’s history, up from 32 at previous editions. The teams are divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed finishers advancing to the new Round of 32.
When does England play at the 2026 World Cup?
England’s 2026 World Cup group fixtures are: vs Croatia (June 18, midnight EAT, Dallas), vs Ghana (June 24, midnight EAT, Boston), and vs Panama (June 28, 1am EAT, New Jersey). England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana, and Panama.
Which African teams are at the 2026 World Cup?
Nine African nations are competing at the 2026 World Cup the continent’s biggest ever representation. They are: Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Tunisia, Cape Verde, DR Congo, and Algeria. Morocco (Group C with Brazil) and Senegal (Group I with France) are the strongest African contenders for deep knockout runs.
Where is the 2026 World Cup Final being played?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final takes place on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey the largest stadium at the tournament with a capacity of over 82,000. The kick-off is at 11pm East Africa Time. Visit the FIFA official website for full broadcast details and live match updates across the tournament.
How can I watch the 2026 World Cup in Kenya?
Kenyan football fans can watch all 2026 FIFA World Cup matches live on DStv SuperSport channels. All 104 matches are being broadcast across the SuperSport network, with comprehensive daily coverage including pre-match analysis, live commentary, and post-match reaction. Check your local DStv channel guide for individual match broadcast details.
