Giant replicas of the FIFA 2026 World Cup trophy and ball.
| Photo Credit: Henry Romero
FIFA World Cup 2026 is being played across Canada, Mexico, and the USA, with stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe keeping the high-octane football matches nail-biting. The event began on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and will conclude on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. The knockout matches begin on June 29, with South Africa playing tournament co-host Canada.
The 2026 World Cup is the first time the tournament is being held across three nations, with an expanded roster of 48 nations competing in total.
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Here’s your guide about the teams that are competing, with the time of the matches according to Indian Standard Time (IST).
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Dates and timings of matches in IST.
Round of 32
| Countries playing | Date | Time (IST) |
| 1: South Africa vs Canada | June 29, 2026 | 12.30 am |
| 2: Brazil vs TBD | June 29, 2026 | 10.30 pm |
| 3: Germany vs TBD | June 30, 2026 | 2.00 am |
| 4: Morocco vs TBD | June 30, 2026 | 6.30 am |
| 5: TBD vs TBD | June 30, 2026 | 10.30 pm |
| 6: TBD vs TBD | July 1, 2026 | 2.30 am |
| 7: Mexico vs TBD | July 1, 2026 | 6.30 am |
| 8: TBD vs TBD | July 1, 2026 | 9.30 pm |
| 9: TBD vs TBD | July 2, 2026 | 1.30 am |
| 10: USA vs TBD | July 2, 2026 | 5.30 am |
| 11: TBD vs TBD | July 3, 2026 | 12.30 am |
| 12: TBD vs TBD | July 3, 2026 | 4.30 am |
| 13: Switzerland vs TBD | July 3, 2026 | 8.30 am |
| 14: TBD vs TBD | July 3, 2026 | 11.30 pm |
| 15: Argentina vs TBD | July 4, 2026 | 3.30 am |
| 16: TBD vs TBD | July 4, 2026 | 7.00 am |
Round of 16
| Countries playing | Date | Time (IST) |
| A: Winner 1 vs Winner 2 | July 4, 2026 | 10.30 pm |
| B: Winner 3 vs Winner 4 | July 5, 2026 | 2.30 am |
| C: Winner 5 vs Winner 6 | July 6, 2026 | 1.30 am |
| D: Winner 7 vs Winner 8 | July 6, 2026 | 5.30 am |
| E: Winner 9 vs Winner 10 | July 7, 2026 | 12.30 am |
| F: Winner 11 vs Winner 12 | July 7, 2026 | 5.30 am |
| G: Winner 13 vs Winner 14 | July 7, 2026 | 9.30 pm |
| H: Winner 15 vs Winner 16 | July 8, 2026 | 1.30 am |
Quarter-finals
| Countries playing | Date | Time (IST) |
| Q1: Winner A vs Winner B | July 10, 2026 | 1.30 am |
| Q2: Winner C vs Winner D | July 11, 2026 | 12.30 am |
| Q3: Winner E vs Winner F | July 12, 2026 | 2.30 am |
| Q4: Winner G vs Winner H | July 12, 2026 | 6.30 am |
Semi-finals
| Countries playing | Date | Time (IST) |
| S1: Winner Q1 vs Winner Q2 | July 15, 2026 | 12.30 am |
| S2: Winner Q3 vs Winner Q4 | July 16, 2026 | 12.30 am |
Final
| Countries playing | Date | Time (IST) |
| Final: Winner S1 vs Winner S2 | July 20, 2026 | 12.30 am |
‘TBD’ is an abbreviation of ‘To be decided’. The knockout matches would decide which countries play against each other.
Published – June 25, 2026 04:42 pm IST