2026 Tournament Schedule
The 2026 tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Here's everything we know about the schedule.
Key Dates
| Event | Date | Venue | UK Time (BST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Match | June 11, 2026 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | TBC |
| Group Stage | June 11 – June 29 | All 16 cities | Various |
| Round of 32 | June 30 – July 3 | Various | Various |
| Round of 16 | July 4 – July 7 | Various | Various |
| Quarter-Finals | July 9 – July 10 | Various | Various |
| Semi-Finals | July 14 – July 15 | Various | Various |
| Third-Place Play-off | July 18, 2026 | TBC | TBC |
| Final | July 19, 2026 | MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ | TBC (expected ~midnight BST) |
Time Zone Guide for UK Fans
All times during the tournament will be during British Summer Time (BST = UTC+1). Here's how the host city time zones convert:
| Time Zone | Cities | UK Offset | Example: 7pm local = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern (ET, UTC-4) | New York, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Montreal | BST -5 hours | Midnight BST |
| Central (CT, UTC-5) | Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey | BST -6 hours | 1am BST |
| Pacific (PT, UTC-7) | Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver | BST -8 hours | 3am BST |
Late-night and early-morning viewing is likely for UK-based fans watching from home. East Coast matches will be the most UK-friendly, with afternoon kickoffs (5pm ET = 10pm BST).
Tournament Format
The 2026 tournament expands to 48 teams (up from 32). The new format:
- 12 groups of 4 teams (previously 8 groups)
- Top 2 from each group advance to the Round of 32 (24 teams)
- Best 8 third-placed teams also advance (total 32 in knockouts)
- From the Round of 32, it's single-elimination knockout rounds
This means more matches (104 total, up from 64) across a longer window. Great news for fans travelling — more chances to see live football.
Venue Assignments
Specific match assignments by venue will be confirmed after the group draw. We'll update this page with detailed fixture lists when available.
Expected allocation:
- MetLife Stadium (New York/NJ) — Final + semi-final + multiple group matches
- Estadio Azteca (Mexico City) — Opening match + group matches
- SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles) — Semi-final + group matches
- AT&T Stadium (Dallas) — Quarter-final + group matches
All 16 venues will host group stage matches, with knockout rounds concentrated in the larger stadiums.
Ticket Information
Tickets will be sold through the official tournament organiser. Expect:
- Online ballot system for general public sales
- Hospitality packages for premium experiences
- Team-specific allocations distributed via national football associations (FA for England, SFA for Scotland, FAW for Wales)
Our advice: Register for official ticket updates now. Do not buy from unofficial resellers — counterfeit tickets are a major risk at tournaments of this scale.
Following It from the UK
If you can't make it to North America, here's how to watch in the UK:
- BBC and ITV traditionally share UK broadcast rights for major tournaments
- Pubs and fan zones will be screening matches — though late kick-off times mean some matches run past midnight BST
- BBC iPlayer and ITVX for streaming