The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across 16 stadiums in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. With 48 teams and 104 matches, it is the largest World Cup in the tournament’s history. For bettors, the schedule matters as much as the odds: venue altitude, travel distance between group matches, and the temperature differential across host cities all affect team performance in ways the market prices inconsistently.
All times listed are Eastern Time (ET). Subtract 3 hours for Pacific, 1 hour for Central.
Tournament Overview
| Phase | Dates | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | June 11 – June 27 | 48 matches |
| Round of 32 | June 28 – July 3 | 16 matches |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 8 | 8 matches |
| Quarter-finals | July 9 – July 11 | 4 matches |
| Semi-finals | July 14 – July 15 | 2 matches |
| Third-place playoff | July 18 | 1 match |
| Final | July 19 | 1 match |
Host Venues
| Stadium | City | Country | Capacity | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | USA | 82,500 | Sea level |
| AT&T Stadium | Dallas/Arlington, TX | USA | 80,000 | 180m |
| SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles, CA | USA | 70,240 | Sea level |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami, FL | USA | 65,326 | Sea level |
| Levi’s Stadium | San Francisco/Santa Clara, CA | USA | 68,500 | Sea level |
| Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA | USA | 69,796 | Sea level |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO | USA | 76,416 | 270m |
| Gillette Stadium | Boston/Foxborough, MA | USA | 65,878 | Sea level |
| Seattle’s Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | USA | 68,740 | Sea level |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA | USA | 71,000 | 290m |
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | Mexico | 87,523 | 2,240m |
| Estadio Akron | Guadalajara | Mexico | 49,850 | 1,566m |
| Estadio BBVA | Monterrey | Mexico | 53,500 | 537m |
| BMO Field | Toronto | Canada | 45,736 | Sea level |
| BC Place | Vancouver | Canada | 54,500 | Sea level |
Altitude is the single most underpriced variable in this tournament. Estadio Azteca at 2,240 metres is the world’s highest major stadium. Any team playing there that has not acclimatised will show measurable decline in aerobic output across the second half. Guadalajara at 1,566 metres is a lesser but real factor. Teams based in Europe flying directly to Mexico City or Guadalajara for group matches face a physiological disadvantage that bookmakers rarely price with precision.
Group Stage Schedule
Group A — Mexico, South Korea, Czechia, South Africa
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 11 | Mexico vs South Africa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM |
| June 12 | South Korea vs Czechia | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| June 17 | Mexico vs South Korea | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM |
| June 17 | Czechia vs South Africa | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 9:00 PM |
| June 22 | Czechia vs Mexico | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM |
| June 22 | South Africa vs South Korea | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 3:00 PM |
Group B — Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 12 | 🇨🇦 Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina | BMO Field, Toronto | 3:00 PM |
| June 12 | Switzerland vs Qatar | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 6:00 PM |
| June 17 | Switzerland vs Canada | BC Place, Vancouver | 6:00 PM |
| June 18 | Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 3:00 PM |
| June 22 | Canada vs Qatar | BC Place, Vancouver | 6:00 PM |
| June 22 | Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Switzerland | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 6:00 PM |
Canada’s schedule rewards home advantage in two of three matches. The BMO Field opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12 is the first World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil. The Switzerland match in Vancouver is likely the group’s decisive fixture. Both Canadian venues are sea level, which suits European sides but creates no disadvantage for Canada specifically.
Group C — Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | Brazil vs Morocco | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
| June 13 | Scotland vs Haiti | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 9:00 PM |
| June 18 | Brazil vs Scotland | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 3:00 PM |
| June 18 | Morocco vs Haiti | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 6:00 PM |
| June 23 | Brazil vs Haiti | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM |
| June 23 | Morocco vs Scotland | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
Group D — USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | USA vs Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 6:00 PM |
| June 14 | Australia vs Turkey | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 3:00 PM |
| June 18 | USA vs Australia | Lumen Field, Seattle | 9:00 PM |
| June 19 | Paraguay vs Turkey | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 3:00 PM |
| June 24 | USA vs Turkey | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 3:00 PM |
| June 24 | Paraguay vs Australia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 3:00 PM |
Group E — Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Curaçao
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Germany vs Ivory Coast | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 6:00 PM |
| June 14 | Ecuador vs Curaçao | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 9:00 PM |
| June 19 | Germany vs Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
| June 19 | Ivory Coast vs Curaçao | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 9:00 PM |
| June 24 | Germany vs Curaçao | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 6:00 PM |
| June 24 | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 6:00 PM |
Group F — Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Netherlands vs Japan | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 3:00 PM |
| June 15 | Sweden vs Tunisia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 6:00 PM |
| June 20 | Netherlands vs Sweden | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
| June 20 | Japan vs Tunisia | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 6:00 PM |
| June 25 | Netherlands vs Tunisia | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 3:00 PM |
| June 25 | Japan vs Sweden | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM |
Group G — Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Belgium vs Egypt | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 9:00 PM |
| June 16 | Iran vs New Zealand | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 3:00 PM |
| June 20 | Belgium vs Iran | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 3:00 PM |
| June 21 | Egypt vs New Zealand | Lumen Field, Seattle | 6:00 PM |
| June 25 | Belgium vs New Zealand | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 6:00 PM |
| June 25 | Egypt vs Iran | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 6:00 PM |
Group H — Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 16 | Spain vs Uruguay | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM |
| June 16 | Saudi Arabia vs Cape Verde | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 9:00 PM |
| June 21 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 9:00 PM |
| June 21 | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 6:00 PM |
| June 26 | Spain vs Cape Verde | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 9:00 PM |
| June 26 | Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 9:00 PM |
Spain face a significant environmental variable in this group: their match against Saudi Arabia is at Estadio Azteca at altitude, and their final group game is in Monterrey with intense heat. A Spanish side accustomed to temperate European conditions will feel both. The odds for Spain’s group matches don’t consistently reflect the altitude factor.
Group I — France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 16 | France vs Senegal | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
| June 17 | Norway vs Iraq | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 3:00 PM |
| June 21 | France vs Norway | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 3:00 PM |
| June 22 | Senegal vs Iraq | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 3:00 PM |
| June 26 | France vs Iraq | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 3:00 PM |
| June 26 | Norway vs Senegal | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 3:00 PM |
Group J — Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 14 | Argentina vs Algeria | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 9:00 PM |
| June 15 | Austria vs Jordan | Lumen Field, Seattle | 6:00 PM |
| June 19 | Argentina vs Austria | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 9:00 PM |
| June 20 | Algeria vs Jordan | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 6:00 PM |
| June 25 | Argentina vs Jordan | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 9:00 PM |
| June 25 | Algeria vs Austria | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 9:00 PM |
Argentina play two of their three group matches in Mexico, including their opener at altitude in Guadalajara. The defending champions, built around Messi’s playmaking at sea level in Qatar, face a different physical challenge here. At altitude, pressing systems falter and technical sides that dictate tempo can struggle. Worth noting before placing Argentina group-stage bets.
Group K — Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 16 | Portugal vs Colombia | Lumen Field, Seattle | 3:00 PM |
| June 17 | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 6:00 PM |
| June 22 | Portugal vs DR Congo | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 9:00 PM |
| June 22 | Colombia vs Uzbekistan | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 9:00 PM |
| June 27 | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 6:00 PM |
| June 27 | Colombia vs DR Congo | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 6:00 PM |
Group L — England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 13 | England vs Croatia | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 6:00 PM |
| June 13 | Ghana vs Panama | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 6:00 PM |
| June 18 | England vs Ghana | Lumen Field, Seattle | 6:00 PM |
| June 19 | Croatia vs Panama | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 6:00 PM |
| June 23 | England vs Panama | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| June 23 | Croatia vs Ghana | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 9:00 PM |
Knockout Stage Schedule
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 28 | 1A vs 3D/E/F | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 3:00 PM |
| June 28 | 1B vs 3A/C/D | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 9:00 PM |
| June 29 | 1C vs 3G/H/I | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
| June 29 | 1D vs 2B | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 9:00 PM |
| June 30 | 1E vs 2A | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 3:00 PM |
| June 30 | 1F vs 3J/K/L | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 9:00 PM |
| July 1 | 1G vs 2F | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 3:00 PM |
| July 1 | 1H vs 2G | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 9:00 PM |
| July 2 | 1I vs 2H | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 3:00 PM |
| July 2 | 1J vs 2I | Lumen Field, Seattle | 9:00 PM |
| July 3 | 1K vs 2J | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 3:00 PM |
| July 3 | 1L vs 2K | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 9:00 PM |
| July 3 | 2C vs 3A/B/L | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 6:00 PM |
| July 3 | 2D vs 2E | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 3:00 PM |
| July 3 | 2L vs 3B/I/J/K | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6:00 PM |
| July 3 | 2M vs 3C/H/I | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 9:00 PM |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 4 | R32 winner 1 vs R32 winner 2 | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
| July 4 | R32 winner 3 vs R32 winner 4 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 9:00 PM |
| July 5 | R32 winner 5 vs R32 winner 6 | SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 3:00 PM |
| July 5 | R32 winner 7 vs R32 winner 8 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 9:00 PM |
| July 6 | R32 winner 9 vs R32 winner 10 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 3:00 PM |
| July 6 | R32 winner 11 vs R32 winner 12 | Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco | 9:00 PM |
| July 7 | R32 winner 13 vs R32 winner 14 | Gillette Stadium, Boston | 3:00 PM |
| July 8 | R32 winner 15 vs R32 winner 16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 3:00 PM |
Quarter-finals
| Date | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| July 9 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 3:00 PM |
| July 9 | Lumen Field, Seattle | 9:00 PM |
| July 10 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 3:00 PM |
| July 11 | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | 3:00 PM |
Semi-finals
| Date | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| July 14 | AT&T Stadium, Dallas | 8:00 PM |
| July 15 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 8:00 PM |
Third-place Playoff & Final
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 18 | Third-place playoff | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 5:00 PM |
| July 19 | FINAL | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey | 3:00 PM |
Betting the Schedule: What to Watch For
The Altitude Matches
Any match at Estadio Azteca, Estadio Akron, or Estadio BBVA carries environmental risk for European sides. The drop in available oxygen at altitude reduces maximum aerobic output by 5-10% at 2,000+ metres, and the effect compounds across a 90-minute match. Teams from South America, particularly those who qualified through CONMEBOL where altitude matches are routine, are better prepared. Argentina play two group matches in Mexico. Brazil play their opener at sea level in New Jersey. That asymmetry matters.
Matchday 3 Timing
All final group-stage matches within each group kick off simultaneously, which is standard FIFA procedure to prevent collusion. But the live betting market still reprices slowly in the opening minutes of Matchday 3 matches involving a side with already-secured qualification. The team sheet, confirmed 75 minutes before kickoff, is the signal. Heavily rotated sides playing for nothing in the final group game create genuine value in the first 15 minutes of live markets.
Travel and Recovery Windows
Group stage matches are spaced five days apart per team, which is adequate for recovery but leaves no margin for travel complications. A team flying from Vancouver to Monterrey between group matches faces a 2,200-metre altitude gain, a 17°C temperature increase, and a four-hour time zone shift, all inside five days. That kind of schedule isn’t flagged in the odds. Research each team’s travel itinerary before placing group-stage bets, particularly for sides playing across the Canadian and Mexican venues.
The Canadian Matches
Canada’s three group matches are their most important betting events for domestic bettors. The BMO Field crowd on June 12 will be unlike any atmosphere in Canadian football history. The home-pitch advantage is real and quantifiable in international tournament football, but Canada have never played in front of a home World Cup crowd before, which means historical data doesn’t capture the full effect. The Switzerland match in Vancouver on June 17 is where Canada’s group fate is likely decided. Those five days between the two home matches are where the betting value is most concentrated.