World Cup 2026 group stage opening matches — 11 to 14 June
The opening four days of the tournament featured 11 first-round group-stage fixtures, kicking off with the host nation’s opener at the Estadio Azteca. All 11 matches are now complete. Live group standings sit on our groups page; up-to-date outright odds on our winner odds page. All UK times below are BST.
Headline results: Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Curaçao laid down a goal-difference marker; Brazil dropping points to Morocco for the second tournament running was the matchday-1 surprise; Scotland’s 1-0 over Haiti was the Tartan Army’s first World Cup win since 1998. The Sunday Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador result ended Ecuador’s 19-game unbeaten streak with a 90th-minute Amad Diallo winner.
World Cup 2026 matchday 1 completers — 15 to 17 June
The remaining 13 matchday-1 fixtures — Groups F (Sweden v Tunisia), G, H, I, J, K and L — ran across Mon 15 to Wed 17 June. All matches complete. For the live group standings see our groups page.
Headline results from the back half: Spain held by debutants Cape Verde was the upset of the tournament so far; Portugal dropping points to DR Congo means Colombia leads Group K; England’s 4-2 over Croatia (Harry Kane brace, 12’ and 42’) means England and Ghana share top of Group L on three points. Kane and Haaland now jointly lead the Golden Boot race on two goals each.
World Cup 2026 matchday 2 fixtures — Friday 19 to Sunday 21 June
The second round of group-stage matches begins on Friday 19 June with four fixtures across Groups C and D. Matchday 2 dictates how the third-placed teams chase a Round of 32 spot — eight of the 12 third-placed teams progress, ranked by points then goal difference. All UK times are BST.
Editor picks across matchday 2 sit on our World Cup predictions hub — Scotland v Morocco, Netherlands v Sweden and Spain v Saudi Arabia all carry our headline picks. Argentina v Austria, Iceland-style ranked underdogs and the third Group J matchday will continue across Mon 22 Jun onwards.
England’s World Cup 2026 fixtures
England are in Group L with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Matchday 1 complete — England top the group on goal difference after a 4-2 win over Croatia. All three group-stage matches kick off at 9:00pm or later UK time, in US East Coast / Texas host cities.
| Date |
UK kick-off |
Match |
Host city |
| Wed 17 Jun |
9:00pm |
England 4-2 Croatia (FT) |
Arlington |
| Tue 23 Jun |
9:00pm |
England vs Ghana |
Foxborough |
| Sat 27 Jun |
10:00pm |
Panama vs England |
New Jersey |
Kane bagged a brace (12’, 42’) in the opener; Bellingham (47’) and Rashford (85’) added the third and fourth. For squad, manager, predicted XI and full betting context, see our England at the World Cup 2026 page.
Scotland’s World Cup 2026 fixtures
Scotland are in Group C with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti — the Tartan Army’s first World Cup since 1998. Matchday 1 complete — Scotland top Group C on three points after a 1-0 win over Haiti. The Morocco fixture on Friday 19 June at Gillette Stadium (Foxborough) is the season-defining match. All three Scotland matches at New England’s Gillette Stadium and Miami’s Hard Rock.
| Date |
UK kick-off |
Match |
Host city |
| Sun 14 Jun |
2:00am |
Haiti 0-1 Scotland (FT) |
Foxborough |
| Fri 19 Jun |
11:00pm |
Scotland vs Morocco |
Foxborough |
| Wed 24 Jun |
11:00pm |
Scotland vs Brazil |
Miami |
For the full Scotland picture — squad, manager Steve Clarke, qualifying campaign and odds — see our Scotland at the World Cup 2026 page.
World Cup 2026 knockout-round dates
The knockout stage runs from 28 June to 19 July. With the expanded 48-team format, FIFA added a new Round of 32 between the group stage and the Round of 16 — meaning the eventual winner plays seven knockout matches in total. Per-match dates depend on the group-stage seeding once results are in.
- Round of 32: 28 June – 3 July 2026 (16 matches)
- Round of 16: 4 – 7 July 2026 (8 matches)
- Quarter-finals: 9 – 11 July 2026 (4 matches)
- Semi-finals: 14 – 15 July 2026 (2 matches)
- Third-place play-off: Saturday 18 July 2026
- Final: Sunday 19 July 2026, 8:00pm UK, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
The semi-final venues are Arlington (AT&T Stadium) and Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); the final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
UK kick-off times explained
The 2026 World Cup is the most awkwardly-timed in UK viewing history. With 11 US host cities spread across four time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific), the three Mexican host cities on Central Time, and the two Canadian host cities on Eastern (Toronto) and Pacific (Vancouver), UK kick-offs span from late afternoon to the early hours.
- East Coast matches (New Jersey, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Toronto) — typically 7:00pm to 1:00am UK BST
- Central / Mexico matches (Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Mexico City) — typically 8:00pm to 2:00am UK BST
- West Coast matches (Los Angeles, San Francisco area, Seattle, Vancouver) — typically 11:00pm to 5:00am UK BST
The opening match at the Estadio Azteca was a friendly 8:00pm UK BST kick-off; the final at MetLife is also 8:00pm UK BST. The challenging slots are the late West Coast matches — Sunday 14 June’s Australia vs Türkiye at 5:00am UK was the earliest kick-off of the group stage.
BBC and ITV broadcast split
BBC and ITV again share UK broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup under FIFA’s free-to-air mandate. Each broadcaster takes a roughly equal split of group-stage matches; the broadcaster for each knockout match is announced once the group-stage seedings are confirmed. Both channels stream every match live via iPlayer and ITVX respectively, with on-demand replays available immediately after the final whistle.
The final on 19 July is shared — both channels show it simultaneously, as they did for Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018. Each channel’s exact match list publishes in late May 2026, around two weeks before kick-off.
Per-match previews and where to bet
From the opening day onward, we publish a preview of every fixture — predicted starting XIs, key tactical match-ups, bet builder picks and our best price across UK bookmakers. Previews go live the morning of each match.
For the broader betting context: see our World Cup 2026 betting hub for every market, our World Cup 2026 predictions for editor picks across every market, our World Cup 2026 groups page for the full 12-group breakdown and live standings, and our World Cup 2026 free bets page for tournament-specific sign-up offers.
Responsible gambling
104 matches in 37 days is the densest tournament window in UK betting calendar. Set a deposit limit before the opening match and use the self-exclusion tools every UKGC-licensed bookmaker offers via GamStop. Free, confidential support is available 24/7 at BeGambleAware or on 0808 8020 133. 18+. When the fun stops, stop.
