World Cup 2026 Starts In
Mexico vs South Africa · Estadio Azteca · Jun 11
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World Cup 2026 Schedule: All Kickoff Times in Your TimezoneET · PT · BST · CET · AEST · IST · JST · AST & More
Convert all 2026 FIFA World Cup kickoff times to your local timezone. 13 official time slots, 104 matches — every game, every city, every timezone. Now includes Canada (ET/PT), Mexico (CDT), and Middle East (AST) fan guides. Auto-detects your location. Verified from FIFA, BBC Sport, ESPN, Sky Sports.
104
Total Matches
13
Kickoff Slots
16
Host Cities
3
Countries
5
Timezones Span
Jun 11 – Jul 19
Tournament Dates
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Ticketmaster · Official ticket marketplace · All 104 matches available
Group stage · Knockout stage · Semifinals · Final at MetLife NJ
BBC Sport — Confirmed Analysis
"Almost half of all group stage matches will kick off after midnight BST"
With 13 distinct kickoff slots ranging from 5:00 PM to 3:00 AM BST, UK fans face a significant number of very late games. The Final on July 19 at 8:00 PM BST is the reward.
Eastern Time is the Official FIFA Reference Timezone
All 2026 World Cup kickoff times are officially announced by FIFA in Eastern Time (EDT, UTC-4). This applies even for games in Pacific Time cities. Daylight saving is active throughout (June–July), so ET = EDT (not EST), CT = CDT, PT = PDT.
Monterrey: Heat Advisory + Late Kickoffs
Monterrey games kick off at 9:00 PM ET (8:00 PM CDT local) — late enough to avoid peak heat exceeding 40°C. For UK fans: 9:00 PM ET from Monterrey = 2:00 AM BST. Monterrey is on CDT (UTC-5) — same as Dallas and Houston, not Mountain Time.
Monterrey weather & schedule →All 13 World Cup 2026 Kickoff Time Slots
The definitive reference: every confirmed kickoff window across all major global timezones. All times verified from FIFA, ESPN, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, and Sports Illustrated. +1 = next calendar day. All North American times use summer daylight saving: ET = EDT (UTC-4), CT/CDT (UTC-5), PT = PDT (UTC-7).
| Slot | ET (East US) | CT/CDT (Central) | PT (West US) | GMT | BST (UK) | CET (Europe) | AEST (Aus) | IST (India) | JST (Japan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 9:00 AM | 16:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 | 2:00 AM+1 | 9:30 PM | 1:00 AM+1 |
| S2 | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 19:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 | 5:00 AM+1 | 12:30 AM+1 | 4:00 AM+1 |
| S3 | 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 20:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 | 6:00 AM+1 | 1:30 AM+1 | 5:00 AM+1 |
| S4 | 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 21:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 | 7:00 AM+1 | 2:30 AM+1 | 6:00 AM+1 |
| S5 | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 22:00 | 23:00 | 00:00+1 | 8:00 AM+1 | 3:30 AM+1 | 7:00 AM+1 |
| S6 | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 23:00 | 00:00+1 | 01:00+1 | 9:00 AM+1 | 4:30 AM+1 | 8:00 AM+1 |
| S7 | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 00:00+1 | 01:00+1 | 02:00+1 | 10:00 AM+1 | 5:30 AM+1 | 9:00 AM+1 |
| S8 | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 01:00+1 | 02:00+1 | 03:00+1 | 11:00 AM+1 | 6:30 AM+1 | 10:00 AM+1 |
| S9 | 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 02:00+1 | 03:00+1 | 04:00+1 | 12:00 PM+1 | 7:30 AM+1 | 11:00 AM+1 |
| S10 | 11:00 PM | 10:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 03:00+1 | 04:00+1 | 05:00+1 | 1:00 PM+1 | 8:30 AM+1 | 12:00 PM+1 |
| S11 | 12:00 AM | 11:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 04:00+1 | 05:00+1 | 06:00+1 | 2:00 PM+1 | 9:30 AM+1 | 1:00 PM+1 |
| S12 | 1:00 AM | 12:00 AM+1 | 10:00 PM | 05:00+1 | 06:00+1 | 07:00+1 | 3:00 PM+1 | 10:30 AM+1 | 2:00 PM+1 |
| S13 | 3:00 AM | 2:00 AM+1 | 12:00 AM+1 | 07:00+1 | 08:00+1 | 09:00+1 | 5:00 PM+1 | 12:30 PM+1 | 4:00 PM+1 |
Sources: FIFA official schedule · ESPN · BBC Sport · Sky Sports · Sports Illustrated. ET = EDT (UTC-4) · CT = CDT (UTC-5) · PT = PDT (UTC-7) · BST = UTC+1 · CET/CEST = UTC+2 · AEST = UTC+10 · IST = UTC+5:30 · JST = UTC+9.
⚽ The 1,000th Match in FIFA World Cup History
Japan vs Tunisia — Estadio BBVA, Monterrey — Saturday June 20, 2026
ET (Official)
9:00 PM
Jun 20
BST (UK)
2:00 AM
Jun 21 +1
CEST (Europe)
3:00 AM
Jun 21 +1
AEST (Aus)
11:00 AM
Jun 21 +1
IST (India)
6:30 AM
Jun 21 +1
JST (Japan)
10:00 AM
Jun 21 +1
BRT (Brazil)
10:00 PM
Jun 20
AST (Gulf)
4:00 AM
Jun 21 +1
Japan vs Tunisia on June 20 at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey is officially the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history. For Japanese fans, this is a morning match (10:00 AM JST on June 21) — highly watchable. Gulf fans face a 4AM AST alarm. UK fans will need to stay up until 2:00 AM BST.
Timezone Guide — All 16 World Cup 2026 Host Cities
Quick reference for when games in each host city are on in the UK (BST). All 16 cities span three timezones: EDT (UTC-4), CDT (UTC-5), and PDT (UTC-7).
| City | Country | Timezone | UTC Offset | Noon ET kickoff in BST | 9PM ET kickoff in BST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 New York / NJ | USA | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Philadelphia | USA | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Boston | USA | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Atlanta | USA | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Miami | USA | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇨🇦 Toronto | Canada | EDT | UTC-4 | 4:00 PM BST | 2:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Dallas | USA | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Houston | USA | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Kansas City | USA | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico City | Mexico | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇲🇽 Guadalajara | Mexico | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇲🇽 Monterrey | Mexico | CDT | UTC-5 | 5:00 PM BST | 3:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | USA | PDT | UTC-7 | 7:00 PM BST | 5:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 San Francisco | USA | PDT | UTC-7 | 7:00 PM BST | 5:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇺🇸 Seattle | USA | PDT | UTC-7 | 7:00 PM BST | 5:00 AM BST +1 |
| 🇨🇦 Vancouver | Canada | PDT | UTC-7 | 7:00 PM BST | 5:00 AM BST +1 |
Hotels Near World Cup 2026 Stadiums
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The "East Coast Bias" — Why FIFA Scheduled the Best Games in ET Cities
14 of 29
Marquee group matches in Eastern Time cities
6 of 15
Winner matches in Central Time cities
0
High-profile matches in Mountain Time (no host city)
Why this matters for international fans: Forbes confirmed FIFA deliberately weighted marquee matches toward Eastern Time host cities — New York/NJ, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, and Toronto — giving European TV the largest possible prime-time viewing window.
A 3:00 PM ET kickoff in New York is 8:00 PM BST and 9:00 PM CEST — prime-time for both simultaneously.
World Cup 2026 Times by Country — International Fan Guides
Tailored viewing guides for the biggest international fan audiences — best and worst kickoff slots, your team's key games, and the Final time in your local timezone. Verified from BBC Sport, ESPN, Sky Sports, Socceroos, and Forbes.
🇬🇧 UK Fans — BST (UTC+1)
Best viewing slots
5:00 PM – 9:00 PM BST
Noon – 4:00 PM ET
Toughest slot
2:00 AM – 3:00 AM BST
Vancouver & Kansas City late games
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
8:00 PM BST — prime-time Sunday evening
BBC Sport confirmed: "Almost half of all group stage matches will kick off after midnight BST." England vs Croatia (Dallas, Jun 17) is the best-timed England group game at 8:00 PM BST. The World Cup Final is 8:00 PM BST — the ideal prime-time slot.
Key Match
England vs Croatia: 3PM ET / 8PM BST — Jun 17, Dallas
🇩🇪🇫🇷🇪🇸 Central European Fans — CEST (UTC+2)
Best viewing slots
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM CEST
Noon – 4:00 PM ET
Toughest slot
After midnight CEST
Any ET 7PM+ kickoff
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
9:00 PM CEST — prime-time
Forbes confirmed: FIFA scheduled a disproportionate share of marquee matches in Eastern Time cities to benefit European TV audiences. Germany vs Curaçao (Houston, Jun 14) at noon ET is 6:00 PM CEST. The Opening Match (Mexico vs South Africa, 3PM ET) is 9:00 PM CEST.
Key Match
Germany vs Curaçao: 12PM ET / 6PM CEST — Jun 14, Houston
🇦🇺 Australian Fans — AEST (UTC+10)
Best viewing slots
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM AEST
9PM–11PM ET previous night
Toughest slot
2:00 AM – 5:00 AM AEST
Noon–3PM ET kickoffs
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
5:00 AM AEST July 20 — early morning
Australia vs UEFA C (Vancouver, Jun 13) = 2:00 PM AEST Sunday Jun 14 — lunchtime. Australia vs USA (Seattle, Jun 19) = 5:00 AM AEST. Australia vs Paraguay (SF, Jun 25) = noon AEST. Official times via Football Australia.
Key Match
Australia vs UEFA C: 9PM PT Jun 13 / 2PM AEST Jun 14, Vancouver
🇮🇳 Indian Fans — IST (UTC+5:30)
Best viewing slots
9:30 PM – midnight IST
Noon – 2:30 PM ET
Toughest slot
6:30 AM IST next morning
9:00 PM ET kickoffs
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
12:30 AM IST July 20 — late night
IST is 9.5 hours ahead of EDT. Noon ET = 9:30 PM IST (prime-time — the best slot). 3PM ET = 12:30 AM IST. 9PM ET = 6:30 AM IST next morning. The Final at 3PM ET on July 19 = 12:30 AM IST on July 20.
Key Match
Best slot for India: any 12PM ET game = 9:30 PM IST
🇯🇵🇰🇷 Japan & South Korea — JST/KST (UTC+9)
Best viewing slots
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM JST
9PM–12AM ET previous night
Toughest slot
1:00 AM JST
Noon ET kickoffs
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
4:00 AM JST July 20 — very early morning
JST is 13 hours ahead of EDT. Japan vs Tunisia — the 1,000th World Cup match — kicks off 9PM ET Jun 20 = 10:00 AM JST Jun 21. Mexico vs South Korea (Guadalajara, 9PM ET Jun 18) = 10AM JST Jun 19.
Key Match
Japan vs Tunisia (Match #1000): 9PM ET Jun 20 / 10AM JST Jun 21, Monterrey
🇧🇷🇦🇷 South American Fans — BRT/ART (UTC-3)
Best viewing slots
1:00 PM – 6:00 PM BRT
Noon – 3PM ET
Toughest slot
10:00 PM – midnight BRT
9PM ET late-evening games
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
4:00 PM BRT July 19 — perfect afternoon
BRT/ART (UTC-3) is just 1 hour ahead of EDT. The Final at 3PM ET = 4PM BRT — a perfect Sunday afternoon. Brazil vs Morocco (MetLife, 6PM ET Jun 12) = 7PM BRT. Late ET games (9PM) are only 10PM BRT — very manageable.
Key Match
Brazil vs Morocco: 6PM ET / 7PM BRT — Jun 12, MetLife NJ
🇨🇦 Canadian Fans — ET / PT (UTC-4 / UTC-7)
Best viewing slots
Noon – 9:00 PM ET / 9AM – 6PM PT
All slots — Canada hosts matches
Toughest slot
No truly bad slot
Canada spans same timezones as US host cities
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
3:00 PM ET / Noon PT July 19 — perfect afternoon
Canada hosts matches at Toronto (BMO Field, EDT) and Vancouver (BC Place, PDT). Toronto fans share Eastern Time with New York and Boston — noon ET kickoffs are prime-time lunchtime. Vancouver fans watch Pacific Time games live in stadium, and tune into Eastern games from 9AM PT. Canada vs Honduras (Toronto, Jun 12) kicks off 6PM ET — 7PM local.
Key Match
Canada vs Honduras: 6PM ET / 3PM PT — Jun 12, Toronto (BMO Field)
🇲🇽 Mexican Fans — CST/CDT (UTC-5)
Best viewing slots
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM CDT
Noon – 9PM ET
Toughest slot
10:00 PM CDT
11PM ET Vancouver late games
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
2:00 PM CDT July 19 — mid-afternoon
Mexico is on CDT (UTC-5) during summer — 1 hour behind Eastern Time. Mexico hosts three venues: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City), Estadio Akron (Guadalajara), and Estadio BBVA (Monterrey). The Opening Match — Mexico vs South Africa at Azteca — kicks off 3PM ET = 2PM CDT on Jun 11. All three Mexican venues use CDT during the tournament, not Mountain Time.
Key Match
Mexico vs South Africa (Opening Match): 3PM ET / 2PM CDT — Jun 11, Azteca
🇸🇦🇦🇪🇶🇦 Middle East / Gulf — AST (UTC+3)
Best viewing slots
7:00 PM – 11:00 PM AST
Noon – 4PM ET
Toughest slot
4:00 AM – 6:00 AM AST
9PM–11PM ET Pacific games
🏆 World Cup Final — Jul 19
10:00 PM AST July 19 — prime-time
Gulf Standard Time (AST, UTC+3) is 7 hours ahead of EDT. Noon ET = 7PM AST — prime evening viewing. 3PM ET = 10PM AST. The Final at 3PM ET on Jul 19 = 10PM AST on Jul 19 — excellent prime-time. Saudi Arabia fans: Saudi vs Belgium (Seattle, 9PM ET Jun 19) = 4AM AST Jun 20 — a tough alarm. Qatar-based fans heading to the USA will find most noon ET games at 7PM their home time.
Key Match
World Cup Final: 3PM ET / 10PM AST — Jul 19, MetLife Stadium
Flights to World Cup 2026 Host Cities
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World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times — Answered
Every question about World Cup 2026 match times in the UK, Europe, Australia, India, Japan, and beyond — answered with verified data from FIFA, BBC Sport, ESPN, Sky Sports, and the Socceroos.
Related Pages & City Guides
Schedule Pages
Host City Callouts
- New York/NJ — Final Jul 193PM ET / 8PM BST / 9PM CET
- Mexico City — Opener Jun 113PM ET / 8PM BST
- Vancouver — Midnight ET9PM PT = Midnight ET = 2AM BST
- Monterrey — 1,000th Match9PM ET / 2AM BST
- Dallas — England vs Croatia3PM ET / 8PM BST — best UK slot
- Toronto — Canada home gamesEDT — same zone as New York
Fan Resources
- Packing GuideWhat to bring to every match
- Fan Zones GuideOfficial fan zones by city
- Visa Requirements by CountryEntry requirements for all nations
- Cost & Budget BreakdownHow much does the World Cup cost?
- England Fans Travel GuideComplete guide for England supporters
- Argentina Fans Travel GuideComplete guide for Argentina supporters