With the 12 groups determined during Friday’s riveting Final Draw in Washington DC, global attention then turned towards the FIFA World Cup 2026™ fixture schedule, which was unveiled on Saturday by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and a selection of iconic FIFA Legends. “In football, we have a first half and a second half. For now, this is the second half of the draw.” Mr Infantino said to kick off the schedule reveal, which was broadcast across FIFA platforms.

The 104-match schedule for next year’s blockbuster 48-team tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States was updated 24 hours following the Final Draw in order to optimise venues and kick-off times for the benefit of teams, as well as fans in the stadium and around the world.

“This has been the climax of a process that has been two years in the making to build a schedule for the largest-ever (FIFA) World Cup,” said Manolo Zubiria, FIFA World Cup 2026 Chief Tournament Officer – USA. “The minute the last team was drawn… there was already a large group of multiple (functional) areas within FIFA to try to put together this puzzle.”

It was complex, comprising 72 group stage matches in 16 venues across four time zones and three host countries, plus the 32-game knockout stage that will culminate in New York New Jersey on 19 July. To close the show, which took place before an audience of coaches and representatives from the 42 qualified teams and the 22 that will contest the FIFA and European Play-Offs next March, Mr Infantino announced that the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match will begin at 15:00 EDT.

Mr Zubiria explained that the scheduling process accounted for myriad factors, from the weather on site and the time back home in participating teams’ countries, to the recovery and potential travel facing players and fans. “We’ve tried to basically strike the right balance,” he said.

Among the notable fixtures announced in Washington DC were the openers for the three host nations. A groundbreaking World Cup will kick off in fitting fashion with a match in Mexico City that will make history twice over. The Group A showdown between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday 11 June at 15:00 EDT will be the first repeat tournament opener in FIFA World Cup™ history. They inaugurated the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a memorable 1-1 draw. It also will make Mexico City Stadium the first venue to play host to the FIFA World Cup™ on three occasions, following 1970 and 1986.

Canada will begin their FIFA World Cup journey in Toronto on Friday 12 June when they meet a European Play-Off winner (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina). Later that same day, the USA will face Paraguay in Los Angeles. FIFA Legend Alexi Lalas starred in two 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ matches in Southern California and said the upcoming tournament will set new standards for football in the United States. The 1994 tournament, despite featuring only 24 teams, remains the best-attended in history. The FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to attract almost 7 million fans – double the 1994 record.

“Thirty-two years later the world is coming back to my country, and they're coming back to a very, very different landscape,” Lalas said on stage in DC. “When all is said and done next summer, we are going to welcome the world back with open arms. And not only is it going to be the biggest (FIFA) World Cup in history, not only is it going to be the biggest sporting event in history, but I think when all is said and done, it's going to be the biggest cultural event in history.” Also among the many enthralling fixtures announced Saturday was the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup™ history, which will be between Japan and Tunisia in Monterrey. That will take place on Saturday 20 June. The only group stage match between former world champions will feature Spain and Uruguay in Guadalajara on Friday 26 June. Holders Argentina will open their World Cup defence on Tuesday 16 June against Algeria in Kansas City.

On stage in DC, two-time FIFA World Cup winner Ronaldo Nazário expressed his excitement for the draw’s “second half”, and for the unprecedented festival of football coming in 2026. “I think we started to breathe the (FIFA) World Cup at the draw yesterday, and now we announce the cities [and schedule] and I think it’s going to be an amazing World Cup,” the famed Brazilian striker said. “The (FIFA) World Cup is always a fun competition, a special competition for me, and I’m very excited.”