WASHINGTON — FIFA officially revealed the kickoff times for the tournament’s 104 matches on Saturday, following the draw for the expanded 48-nation event, which is set to conclude with the final at 3 p.m. ET on July 19.
The final, to be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is strategically scheduled for prime time in continental Europe at 9 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Britain.
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According to AccuWeather, the average temperature around 3 p.m. in East Rutherford on July 19 has been about 83 degrees over the past 30 years.
Between 1978 and 2014, nine of the ten World Cup finals commenced in the 2-3:30 p.m. ET window, with the only exception in 2002, which kicked off at 7 a.m. ET in Japan. The final in 2018 started at 11 a.m. ET, while the 2022 final, held in winter in Qatar, began at 10 a.m. ET.
The 1994 final, located at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
FIFA announced the match schedule and venues after considering factors such as travel and broadcasting.
“It’s been a long night—or perhaps a short one. We’ve aimed to strike the right balance between team preparation and recovery across the vast footprint of this World Cup, covering 16 cities in three countries with varying climatic conditions and time zones,” said chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria.
He further explained that the goals included minimizing travel for teams and fans and optimizing the exposure of the competition worldwide by determining ideal kickoff times for different cities while considering some constraints.
The opening match in Mexico City on June 11 will feature El Tri against South Africa, kicking off at 3 p.m. ET.
The semifinals are set for July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and July 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, both starting at 3 p.m. ET and featuring retractable roofs.
Quarterfinal matches will commence at 4 p.m. on July 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, followed by noon (3 p.m. ET) the next day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The remaining quarterfinals will take place on July 11, starting at 5 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Of the quarterfinal venues, SoFi has a roof, allowing outside air flow, while the other three are open-air stadiums.
FIFA previously announced on February 4 last year that the final would be hosted in New Jersey, with site-specific matchups for the new round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals made public on June 12.
104 matches. Locked in.
The #FIFAWorldCup 2026™ match schedule ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ZYofjO8z41
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2025
Seventy-eight matches will occur in the U.S., including all quarterfinals and beyond, while Canada and Mexico will host 13 matches each.
During an event at the Capital Hilton, FIFA also disclosed the venues for the 54 group-stage games that were not finalized ahead of Friday’s draw, which confirmed locations for Groups A, B, and D, including the co-hosts Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
South Korea is the only team besides Canada and Mexico without any matches scheduled in the U.S., with its opener taking place in Guadalajara against the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, or North Macedonia, followed by a fixture against El Tri at the same venue and concluding the round against South Africa in Monterrey.
The U.S. men’s national team will have its first-round games with a 9 p.m. ET matchup against Paraguay in Inglewood on June 12, a 3 p.m. ET game against Australia in Seattle a week later, and a 7 p.m. start on June 25 at SoFi against Turkiye, Romania, Slovakia, or Kosovo.
Japan‘s Group F match against Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 20 will mark the 1,000th match in World Cup history.
Germany‘s Group E opener against Curaçao will start at noon local (1 p.m. ET) at NRG Stadium. Curaçao boasts the smallest population of any nation to reach the World Cup, at around 150,000.
“It will be played in Houston, a closed indoor venue, so weather concerns will not be an issue,” commented FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.