Complete FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule with match times for every major time zone. Find out when to watch games in Europe, Asia, and Australia from the USA-hosted tournament.
World Cup 2026: Match Times in Every Time Zone
The 2026 World Cup is going to be wild. First tournament with 48 teams instead of 32. Three host countries — US, Canada, and Mexico. Games spread across four timezones from Vancouver to Miami. That's 104 matches over a month, and if you're not in North America, you'll need to figure out whether you're waking up at 4 AM or staying up until midnight.
I've already marked June 11 through July 19 in my calendar. Here's what you need to know about when matches kick off in your timezone.
Tournament Schedule
Key dates:
- Opening match: June 11, 2026
- Group stage: June 11 - July 1
- Round of 32: July 2-5
- Round of 16: July 6-9
- Quarter-finals: July 10-11
- Semi-finals: July 14-15
- Final: July 19 (MetLife Stadium, New Jersey)
Host Cities Across Four Timezones
| Timezone | Cities | UTC Offset |
|----------|--------|------------|
| Eastern | New York, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia | UTC-4 |
| Central | Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Mexico City | UTC-5 |
| Mountain | Denver | UTC-6 |
| Pacific | LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver | UTC-7 |
What Time Are Matches in YOUR Timezone?
Europe
European fans get decent viewing times for early US games, but prime-time matches will test your dedication.
| US Kickoff | UK (BST) | Central Europe (CEST) | Reality Check |
|------------|----------|----------------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | 4 PM | 5 PM | Perfect — home from work |
| 2 PM EDT | 7 PM | 8 PM | Prime evening slot |
| 5 PM EDT | 10 PM | 11 PM | Late but doable |
| 8 PM EDT | 1 AM | 2 AM | You're staying up or missing it |
| 6 PM PDT | 2 AM | 3 AM | West Coast games are brutal |
Early afternoon US kickoffs are your friend. According to FIFA's tournament guidelines, most group stage matches will be in the 11 AM - 5 PM EDT window, which gives Europe reasonable viewing times.
More on European timezones: CET guide.
Asia-Pacific
#### Japan
If you're in Tokyo, you'll be watching matches at breakfast or staying up late.
| US Kickoff | Japan (JST) | Reality Check |
|------------|-------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | midnight | Late night viewing |
| 2 PM EDT | 3 AM | Very rough |
| 5 PM EDT | 6 AM | Morning coffee match |
| 8 PM EDT | 9 AM | Commute time |
| 6 PM PDT | 10 AM (next day) | Mid-morning |
Best bet: catch the evening US games during your morning routine. See our JST guide.
#### Australia (Sydney)
Similar story for Australia — early morning or late night, pick your poison.
| US Kickoff | Sydney (AEST) | Reality Check |
|------------|---------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | 1 AM | Middle of the night |
| 2 PM EDT | 4 AM | Pre-dawn viewing |
| 5 PM EDT | 7 AM | Breakfast match |
| 8 PM EDT | 10 AM | Mid-morning |
| 6 PM PDT | 11 AM | Late morning |
June-July is winter in Australia, so no daylight saving. Just cold mornings and hot coffee.
#### India
India gets a mixed bag — some evening matches, some brutal early morning ones.
| US Kickoff | India (IST) | Reality Check |
|------------|-------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | 8:30 PM | Great evening slot |
| 2 PM EDT | 11:30 PM | Late but manageable |
| 5 PM EDT | 2:30 AM | Nope |
| 8 PM EDT | 5:30 AM | Very early |
Target the early US games for comfortable viewing. IST guide has more details.
Middle East & Africa
#### Dubai/Gulf Region
| US Kickoff | Dubai (GST) | Reality Check |
|------------|-------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | 7 PM | Perfect evening |
| 2 PM EDT | 10 PM | Late evening |
| 5 PM EDT | 1 AM | Too late |
| 8 PM EDT | 4 AM | Forget it |
#### South Africa
| US Kickoff | Johannesburg | Reality Check |
|------------|--------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | 5 PM | Afternoon — ideal |
| 2 PM EDT | 8 PM | Prime time |
| 5 PM EDT | 11 PM | Pushing it |
| 8 PM EDT | 2 AM | Only for diehards |
South America
Brazil and Argentina fans basically get the same times as the US. Lucky.
| US Kickoff | São Paulo/Buenos Aires | Reality Check |
|------------|----------------------|---------------|
| 11 AM EDT | noon | Lunch break match |
| 2 PM EDT | 3 PM | Afternoon |
| 5 PM EDT | 6 PM | Evening |
| 8 PM EDT | 9 PM | Prime time |
This is why hosting matters. When Brazil hosted in 2014, South Americans had perfect viewing times while Asia suffered.
Global Watch Parties
Trying to coordinate a watch party with friends in London, New York, and Sydney? Good luck. Use the Overlap Finder to see which matches actually work.
Example: You want all three cities to join.
- 2 PM EDT kickoff = 7 PM London (great) = 4 AM Sydney (no)
- 11 AM EDT kickoff = 4 PM London (fine) = 1 AM Sydney (rough but possible for a big match)
There's no perfect solution when you span that many timezones.
Watching at Work
Some companies let you stream matches during work hours, especially if your country's playing. I've seen:
- Conference room screenings during lunch
- Flexible start times (come in late after an early match)
- WFH options for mid-morning games
- Extended lunch breaks (make up the time later)
Check kickoff times with the Time Zone Converter and figure out your plan before the tournament starts.
Matches You Can't Miss
Opening Match: June 11, 2026
The US (probably) will play in the opener. Expect an 8 PM EDT kickoff for maximum North American viewership.
| Location | Time |
|----------|------|
| US Eastern | 8 PM |
| US Pacific | 5 PM |
| UK | 1 AM (next day) |
| Central Europe | 2 AM |
| Japan | 9 AM (next day) |
| Australia | 10 AM (next day) |
Europe, you're staying up. Asia, you're waking up.
The Final: July 19, 2026
MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. FIFA will probably schedule it around 4-5 PM EDT to balance global audiences.
If it's 5 PM EDT:
| Location | Time |
|----------|------|
| US Pacific | 2 PM |
| UK | 10 PM |
| Central Europe | 11 PM |
| Japan | 6 AM (next day) |
| Australia | 7 AM (next day) |
Europe gets prime time. Asia gets breakfast viewing. That's the trade-off.
Comparison to Recent Tournaments
Qatar 2022: Americans suffered through matches at 5 AM because Qatar wanted cooler evening temperatures. Nobody in the US watched group stage matches live.
Russia 2018: Great for Europe and Asia. Terrible for Americas.
Brazil 2014: Similar timezone distribution to 2026 — Americas got prime viewing, Asia dealt with early mornings.
2026 brings the World Cup back to Western Hemisphere timezones after 32 years (USA 1994 was the last time). If you're in North or South America, enjoy it.
Planning Tools
Use the Time Zone Converter to check any match time in your location. The Meeting Planner works for coordinating watch parties across timezones.
Add matches to your calendar app and let it handle timezone conversions automatically.
Quick Summary
Who gets good viewing times:
- Americas: Perfect — afternoon and evening matches
- Europe: Early/afternoon US games are good (late night US games are rough)
- South America: Nearly identical to US times
- Asia-Pacific: Early mornings — set your alarm
- Middle East/Africa: Mixed — some evening, some very late
More timezone info: California timezone guide for Pacific host cities, and how many timezones exist worldwide.
Martin Šikula
Founder of WhenestI work with distributed teams daily — whether it's coordinating with developers across time zones or scheduling client calls across continents. I built Whenest because existing tools were either too complex or too expensive for something that should be simple.