World Cup 2026 Schedule: Kickoff Times, TV Channels and Key Dates (ET)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs June 11 – July 19, 2026 across the USA, Canada and Mexico — 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 stadiums. Group-stage kickoffs in Eastern Time fall between 12:00 PM and 11:00 PM, in four daily windows. In the US, watch on FOX and FS1 (English) and Telemundo and Universo (Spanish); stream every match on the Fox Sports app / FOX One or on Peacock (Telemundo’s Spanish feed). FOX-network matches are free over the air with an antenna, and Telemundo carries 92 matches free in Spanish. The final is Sunday, July 19, 3:00 PM ET at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. The full match table with ET kickoff times and channels is below.

World Cup 2026 Schedule — Full Fixture List & Kickoff Times (ET)

All times Eastern (ET). CT = ET−1, MT = ET−2, PT = ET−3. Knockout matchups show bracket slots until the group stage concludes on June 27 — team names populate as groups resolve.

Group stage

Round of 32

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Third-place play-off

Final

How to Watch the World Cup 2026 on TV (USA)

Every one of the 104 matches is televised in the United States, split across English and Spanish broadcasters:

Cord-cutters can also stream the FOX/FS1/Telemundo feeds through live-TV services such as Fubo, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV and Sling (Blue).

What Channel Is the World Cup 2026 On?

In short: FOX and FS1 for English, Telemundo and Universo for Spanish. The biggest fixtures — the opening match, both semifinals and the final — are on the main FOX network, which you can watch free over the air with a TV antenna. Mid-table group games and some simultaneous kickoffs move to FS1 (English) or Universo (Spanish). Check the full match table above for the exact channel of every fixture.

World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times by Time Zone (ET · CT · PT)

This is the first World Cup built for North American prime time rather than early-morning alarms. Group-stage kickoffs cluster in four daily windows. To convert from Eastern: CT = ET − 1 hour, MT = ET − 2, PT = ET − 3.

During the group stage you’ll get up to four matches a day. West Coast viewers come out best: the late Mexico games land at a comfortable 6:00–8:00 PM PT.

World Cup 2026 Final & Opening Match — Dates, Times & Venues

The final is an afternoon kickoff, scheduled with European TV audiences in mind. MetLife Stadium — the largest in the NFL — hosts the showpiece, while both semifinals are spread across Texas and Georgia.

Printable World Cup 2026 Schedule (PDF)

Want the full schedule on paper or offline? Use your browser’s Print → Save as PDF (Ctrl/Cmd + P) on this page to export the complete 104-match fixture list with ET kickoff times and TV channels. The fixture table is print-formatted, so it carries over cleanly to a saved PDF or a hard copy for your wall, office sweep or watch party.

Make the group stage actually matter: run a prediction game

A 104-match tournament is a marathon, and the group stage is where casual viewers drift. The fix that works every World Cup: a prediction game with your friends, office or fantasy league. The expanded format is genuinely kinder to players — early mistakes can be clawed back over six weeks, and the best-third-place permutations reward people who actually watch the smaller nations. We’ve compared the options in the best World Cup 2026 prediction games guide; if fantasy is more your thing, there’s a separate rundown of fantasy manager games for the World Cup.