The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be bigger than ever before. Hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and expanded from 32 to 48 nations. For football fans, World Cup 2026 means a total of 104 matches. And in this article, we bring you everything you need to know: every group, the full match calendar, and how the knockout bracket works.
World Cup 2026 Groups
Although the final qualifying spots were only confirmed on 31 March, the World Cup 2026 group draw took place back in December. There was a set of specific seeding rules; for example, no group could contain more than one team from the same confederation, except Europe. The draw produced the following twelve groups:
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Canada | Brazil | USA |
| South Africa | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Morocco | Paraguay |
| South Korea | Qatar | Haiti | Australia |
| Czechia | Switzerland | Scotland | Turkey |
| Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Netherlands | Belgium | Spain |
| Curaçao | Japan | Egypt | Cape Verde |
| Ivory Coast | Sweden | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
| Ecuador | Tunisia | New Zealand | Uruguay |
| Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Argentina | Portugal | England |
| Senegal | Algeria | DR Congo | Croatia |
| Iraq | Austria | Uzbekistan | Ghana |
| Norway | Jordan | Colombia | Panama |
World Cup 2026 Match Calendar
Time zone – Riga, Latvia.
Group Stage Matches
Thursday, 11 June
22:00 – Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A)
Friday, 12 June
05:00 – South Korea vs. Czechia (Group A)
22:00 – Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)
Saturday, 13 June
04:00 – USA vs. Paraguay (Group D)
22:00 – Qatar vs. Switzerland (Group B)
Sunday, 14 June
01:00 – Brazil vs. Morocco (Group C)
04:00 – Haiti vs. Scotland (Group C)
07:00 – Australia vs. Turkey (Group D)
20:00 – Germany vs. Curaçao (Group E)
23:00 – Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F)
Monday, 15 June
02:00 – Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Group E)
05:00 – Sweden vs. Tunisia (Group F)
19:00 – Spain vs. Cape Verde (Group H)
22:00 – Belgium vs. Egypt (Group G)
Tuesday, 16 June
01:00 – Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Group H)
04:00 – Iran vs. New Zealand (Group G)
22:00 – France vs. Senegal (Group I)
Wednesday, 17 June
01:00 – Iraq vs. Norway (Group I)
04:00 – Argentina vs. Algeria (Group J)
07:00 – Austria vs. Jordan (Group J)
20:00 – Portugal vs. DR Congo (Group K)
23:00 – England vs. Croatia (Group L)
Thursday, 18 June
02:00 – Ghana vs. Panama (Group L)
05:00 – Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Group K)
19:00 – Czechia vs. South Africa (Group A)
22:00 – Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)
Friday, 19 June
01:00 – Canada vs. Qatar (Group B)
04:00 – Mexico vs. South Korea (Group A)
22:00 – USA vs. Australia (Group D)
Saturday, 20 June
01:00 – Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C)
03:30 – Brazil vs. Haiti (Group C)
06:00 – Turkey vs. Paraguay (Group D)
20:00 – Netherlands vs. Sweden (Group F)
23:00 – Germany vs. Ivory Coast (Group E)
Sunday, 21 June
03:00 – Ecuador vs. Curaçao (Group E)
07:00 – Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F)
19:00 – Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H)
22:00 – Belgium vs. Iran (Group G)
Monday, 22 June
01:00 – Uruguay vs. Cape Verde (Group H)
04:00 – New Zealand vs. Egypt (Group G)
20:00 – Argentina vs. Austria (Group J)
Tuesday, 23 June
00:00 – France vs. Iraq (Group I)
03:00 – Norway vs. Senegal (Group I)
06:00 – Jordan vs. Algeria (Group J)
20:00 – Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (Group K)
23:00 – England vs. Ghana (Group L)
Wednesday, 24 June
02:00 – Panama vs. Croatia (Group L)
05:00 – Colombia vs. DR Congo (Group K)
22:00 – Switzerland vs. Canada (Group B)
22:00 – Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar (Group B)
Thursday, 25 June
01:00 – Scotland vs. Brazil (Group C)
01:00 – Morocco vs. Haiti (Group C)
04:00 – Czechia vs. Mexico (Group A)
04:00 – South Africa vs. South Korea (Group A)
23:00 – Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E)
23:00 – Ecuador vs. Germany (Group E)
Friday, 26 June
02:00 – Japan vs. Sweden (Group F)
02:00 – Tunisia vs. Netherlands (Group F)
05:00 – Turkey vs. USA (Group D)
05:00 – Paraguay vs. Australia (Group D)
22:00 – Norway vs. France (Group I)
22:00 – Senegal vs. Iraq (Group I)
Saturday, 27 June
03:00 – Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H)
03:00 – Uruguay vs. Spain (Group H)
06:00 – Egypt vs. Iran (Group G)
06:00 – New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G)
Sunday, 28 June
00:00 – Panama vs. England (Group L)
00:00 – Croatia vs. Ghana (Group L)
02:30 – Algeria vs. Austria (Group J)
02:30 – Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J)
05:00 – Colombia vs. Portugal (Group K)
05:00 – DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan (Group K)
Knockout Stage Calendar
Round of 32
Sunday, 28 June
22:00 – Group A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up (Match #73)
Monday, 29 June
20:00 – Group E winner vs. 3rd place from Group A/B/C/D/F (Match #74)
23:00 – Group F winner vs. Group C runner-up (Match #75)
Tuesday, 30 June
04:00 – Group C winner vs. Group F runner-up (Match #76)
20:00 – Group I winner vs. 3rd place from Group C/D/F/G/H (Match #77)
Wednesday, 1 July
00:00 – Group E runner-up vs. Group I runner-up (Match #78)
04:00 – Group A winner vs. 3rd place from Group C/E/F/H/I (Match #79)
19:00 – Group L winner vs. 3rd place from Group E/H/I/J/K (Match #80)
23:00 – Group D winner vs. 3rd place from Group B/E/F/I/J (Match #81)
Thursday, 2 July
03:00 – Group G winner vs. 3rd place from Group A/E/H/I/J (Match #82)
22:00 – Group K runner-up vs. Group L runner-up (Match #83)
Friday, 3 July
02:00 – Group H winner vs. Group J runner-up (Match #84)
06:00 – Group B winner vs. 3rd place from Group E/F/G/I/J (Match #85)
21:00 – Group J winner vs. Group H runner-up (Match #86)
Saturday, 4 July
01:00 – Group K winner vs. 3rd place from Group D/E/I/J/L (Match #87)
04:30 – Group D runner-up vs. Group G runner-up (Match #88)
Round of 16
Saturday, 4 July
20:00 – Winner Match #74 vs. Winner Match #77 (Match #89)
Sunday, 5 July
00:00 – Winner Match #73 vs. Winner Match #75 (Match #90)
23:00 – Winner Match #76 vs. Winner Match #78 (Match #91)
Monday, 6 July
03:00 – Winner Match #79 vs. Winner Match #80 (Match #92)
23:00 – Winner Match #83 vs. Winner Match #84 (Match #93)
Tuesday, 7 July
03:00 – Winner Match #81 vs. Winner Match #82 (Match #94)
19:00 – Winner Match #86 vs. Winner Match #88 (Match #95)
23:00 – Winner Match #85 vs. Winner Match #87 (Match #96)
Quarter-finals
Thursday, 9 July
23:00 – Winner Match #89 vs. Winner Match #90 (Match #97)
Friday, 10 July
23:00 – Winner Match #93 vs. Winner Match #94 (Match #98)
Sunday, 12 July
00:00 – Winner Match #91 vs. Winner Match #92 (Match #99)
04:00 – Winner Match #95 vs. Winner Match #96 (Match #100)
Semi-finals
Tuesday, 14 July
22:00 – Winner Match #97 vs. Winner Match #98 (Match #101)
Wednesday, 15 July
22:00 – Winner Match #99 vs. Winner Match #100 (Match #102)
Third-Place Match
Saturday, 19 July
00:00 – Loser Match #101 vs. Loser Match #102
Final
Saturday, 19 July
22:00 – Winner Match #101 vs. Winner Match #102
Third Place Can Still Go Through
If the group stage format looks familiar, the knockout round is where things get a little more complex. At the 2026 World Cup, a team that finishes third in their group can still go on to the play-offs. The catch is that only eight of the twelve third-placed teams will progress.
Once the knockout bracket is locked in, the tournament moves forward in the format everyone knows.
The loser goes home, the winner moves on – first to the Round of 16, then the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finally the grand final on 19 July at the 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Ready to place bets? Read our full 2026 FIFA World Cup betting guide for odds, markets, and strategy.
How to Bet Responsibly During the World Cup
- Do not bet on impulse.
- Manage your budget.
- Avoid chasing losses.
- Analyse each match individually and base your decisions on research.
- Enjoy the tournament – football comes first.
- Use the OlyBet mobile app to keep your bets under control.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the perfect opportunity to experience sports betting at its fullest. More matches, more markets, more excitement, and more moments worth talking about.
Keep an eye on OlyBet for special World Cup 2026 offers throughout the tournament. You will not want to miss them.
