England has been assigned World Cup kick-off times that are favorable for UK viewers, while Scottish fans will have to contend with later finishes during the tournament next summer.
The England team will compete in all three of their group matches in the United States. Their first two matches are against Croatia on June 17 and Ghana on June 23, both scheduled to kick off at 21:00 BST.
In their final group match against Panama on June 27 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which will also host the final, the game will start at 22:00 BST.
Scotland, on the other hand, will play their Group C matches in Boston and Miami, beginning with their match against Haiti on June 14 at Gillette Stadium at 02:00 BST.
Steve Clarke’s squad will face Morocco in Massachusetts on June 19 and five-time champions Brazil in Miami on June 24, with both matches kicking off at 23:00 BST.
England’s first match in Dallas will be held indoors, under a closed roof at the air-conditioned AT&T Stadium, starting at 15:00 local time to mitigate the expected heat in Texas.
Matches in Dallas and Boston, where Scotland will play twice, will feature a temporary grass surface, as these locations typically use artificial turf.
England’s game in Boston is set for 16:00 local time, while Scotland will play at 21:00 and 18:00 for their contests at Gillette Stadium.
Scotland’s final group match against Brazil in Miami is scheduled to start at 18:00 local time, where extreme heat and humidity might be challenging during the tournament.
Should they succeed in two rounds of UEFA play-off matches in March, Wales or Northern Ireland would play all three group matches at 20:00 BST.
If successful, they are set to face Canada in Toronto on June 12, Switzerland in Los Angeles on June 18, and Qatar in Seattle on June 24.
Pubs in England and Wales could extend their hours until 01:00 next summer if a home nation reaches the quarter-finals, given a public consultation on extending licensing hours.
When and Where England and Scotland Will Play
All times are in BST unless otherwise noted
England – Group L
21:00, Wed, June 17 vs. Croatia – Dallas (15:00 local time)
21:00, Tue, June 23 vs. Ghana – Boston (16:00 local time)
22:00, Sat, June 27 vs. Panama – New Jersey (17:00 local time)
Scotland – Group C
02:00, Sun, June 14 vs. Haiti – Boston (21:00 local time)
23:00, Fri, June 19 vs. Morocco – Boston (18:00 local time)
23:00, Wed, June 24 vs. Brazil – Miami (18:00 local time)
[BBC]
The match venues and kick-off times were confirmed just a day after the group stage draw took place in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
This World Cup, set to be the first with 48 teams, will occur in Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
The tournament will kick off with Mexico facing South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, starting at 20:00 BST on Thursday, June 11.
The final is scheduled to kick off at 20:00 BST on July 19, with the semi-finals also set to begin at the same time in Dallas and Atlanta.
The finalized match schedule will be released in March, following the completion of FIFA and UEFA play-off tournaments that will determine the final six slots in the tournament.
The event will take place across 16 cities, spanning four time zones and three countries, with venues located up to 2,800 miles apart.
FIFA has been advised to avoid afternoon games in several locations next summer, as research from Queen’s University Belfast indicated that temperatures could exceed dangerous levels at 14 of the 16 stadiums used.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was joined by football legends including Ronaldo, Francesco Totti, Hristo Stoichkov, and Alexi Lalas to unveil the schedule on Saturday.
England Fans Face Grueling Travel Schedule
Analysis by BBC Sport football issues writer Dale Johnson
England supporters may face one of the toughest travel schedules should they wish to follow the team through to the World Cup final.
Should the Three Lions win Group L and progress to the final, fans would need to travel a total of 6,468.5 miles, which would equate to just under 19 hours of travel time.
This long travel time is mainly due to flights between Dallas and Foxborough for their second group game and the return trip to Mexico City between the last 16 and the quarter-final.
As group runners-up, England would still have a considerable journey but slightly less, totaling 5,970.4 miles and roughly 18.5 hours of travel.
Portugal and Spain are looking at even longer trips, despite beginning their group stages in Houston and Atlanta, respectively. Portugal fans will have to travel an extensive 6,781.9 miles over more than 22 hours, while Spain’s journey will total 6,667.2 miles, taking 18 hours and 15 minutes.
In contrast, French fans will enjoy the shortest travel distances, at only 2,675 miles and about 12 and a half hours of travel, with the convenience of two short train trips between East Rutherford and Philadelphia. The distance from Foxborough to Dallas for the semi-final accounts for over half of their travel.
Mexico fans are also in a favorable position as winning their group could mean three consecutive matches at the Azteca, with a total travel of 3,199.7 miles in just over 10 hours.
Germany fans will fare relatively well with 4,141.5 miles and an estimated travel time of 15 and a half hours.
If Scotland were to achieve an upset over Brazil and Morocco, winning their group and advancing to the final, they would incur about 6,083.3 miles of travel over 18 hours. If they finish as runners-up, the distance would be slightly higher at 6,248 miles, requiring just over 18 hours total.