World Cup Group Stage 2026: Schedule, Printable Tracker & Format
The 2026 World Cup group stage runs from June 11 to June 27, with 48 teams split into 12 groups of four and 72 matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Bottom line: the top two teams in every group advance, plus the eight best third-place teams, which sends 32 of the 48 nations into the Round of 32.
This page gives you the full group stage schedule with US kickoff times, a clear breakdown of how the format works, and a free printable tracker so you can follow every result yourself.
How the 2026 World Cup Group Stage Works
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage is the first to feature 48 teams, so the format changed. FIFA divided the field into 12 groups labeled A through L, with four teams in each group. Every team plays the other three teams in its group once, which gives you six matches per group and 72 group stage matches in total.
You earn points the same way every World Cup uses:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 3 |
| Draw | 1 |
| Loss | 0 |
Each team plays three group matches, so the most points a team can collect is 9. When the group games finish, FIFA ranks the four teams in each group from first to fourth based on points.
How Teams Advance From the Group Stage
Like every FIFA World Cup group stage, this round decides who reaches the knockout rounds. A total of 32 teams move on.
Here is how the spots break down:
- The top two teams from each of the 12 groups advance. That is 24 teams.
- The eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups also advance.
Adding those together gives you 32 teams in the new Round of 32, which starts on June 28. The eight third-place teams are ranked against each other, so finishing third does not always send you home. You need to be in the best eight of the 12 third-place finishers.
If two or more teams finish level on points, FIFA breaks the tie in this order:
- Goal difference across all group matches
- Total goals scored
- Head-to-head result between the tied teams
- Fair play record (fewer yellow and red cards)
- Drawing of lots
Key 2026 World Cup Group Stage Dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Group stage opens (Mexico vs South Africa) | June 11 |
| Final group stage matchday | June 27 |
| Round of 32 begins | June 28 |
| Final | July 19 |
The opening match is Mexico against South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. The United States opens on June 12 against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium, and Canada opens the same day against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto.
Free Printable 2026 World Cup Group Stage Tracker
You can download a free printable group stage tracker to follow along by hand. It covers all 12 groups, with every fixture, a national flag for each team, and a blank score box for each match.
Each group also gets a blank standings grid for points, goal difference, and goals. A best third-place teams worksheet lets you rank the 12 third-place finishers and spot which eight reach the Round of 32.
The tracker comes in US Letter and A4 sizes. Print it, stick it on the fridge or office wall, and mark down scores after each matchday. For the live group tables during the tournament, head to our World Cup 2026 standings page.
Full 2026 World Cup Group Stage Schedule
All kickoff times below are listed in Eastern Time (ET). In the United States, Fox and FS1 carry the matches in English, and Telemundo carries them in Spanish.
Group A
Mexico, South Africa, Korea Republic, Czechia
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun 11 | 3:00 PM | Mexico vs South Africa | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Thu, Jun 11 | 10:00 PM | Korea Republic vs Czechia | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 12:00 PM | Czechia vs South Africa | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 9:00 PM | Mexico vs Korea Republic | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 9:00 PM | Czechia vs Mexico | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 9:00 PM | South Africa vs Korea Republic | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
Group B
Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jun 12 | 3:00 PM | Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 3:00 PM | Qatar vs Switzerland | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 3:00 PM | Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 6:00 PM | Canada vs Qatar | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 3:00 PM | Switzerland vs Canada | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 3:00 PM | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar | Lumen Field, Seattle |
Group C
Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jun 13 | 6:00 PM | Brazil vs Morocco | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 9:00 PM | Haiti vs Scotland | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 6:00 PM | Scotland vs Morocco | Gillette Stadium, Foxboro |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 8:30 PM | Brazil vs Haiti | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:00 PM | Scotland vs Brazil | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:00 PM | Morocco vs Haiti | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
Group D
United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jun 12 | 9:00 PM | United States vs Paraguay | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 12:00 AM | Australia vs Türkiye | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 3:00 PM | United States vs Australia | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 11:00 PM | Türkiye vs Paraguay | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 10:00 PM | Türkiye vs United States | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 10:00 PM | Paraguay vs Australia | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
Group E
Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jun 14 | 1:00 PM | Germany vs Curaçao | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 7:00 PM | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 4:00 PM | Germany vs Ivory Coast | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 8:00 PM | Ecuador vs Curaçao | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 4:00 PM | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 4:00 PM | Ecuador vs Germany | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
Group F
Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jun 14 | 4:00 PM | Netherlands vs Japan | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 10:00 PM | Sweden vs Tunisia | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 1:00 PM | Netherlands vs Sweden | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 12:00 AM | Tunisia vs Japan | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 7:00 PM | Japan vs Sweden | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 7:00 PM | Tunisia vs Netherlands | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Group G
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jun 15 | 3:00 PM | Belgium vs Egypt | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 9:00 PM | Iran vs New Zealand | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 3:00 PM | Belgium vs Iran | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 9:00 PM | New Zealand vs Egypt | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 11:00 PM | Egypt vs Iran | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 11:00 PM | New Zealand vs Belgium | BC Place, Vancouver |
Group H
Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jun 15 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs Cape Verde | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 6:00 PM | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 12:00 PM | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 6:00 PM | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 8:00 PM | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 8:00 PM | Uruguay vs Spain | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
Group I
France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jun 16 | 3:00 PM | France vs Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 6:00 PM | Iraq vs Norway | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 5:00 PM | France vs Iraq | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 8:00 PM | Norway vs Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 3:00 PM | Norway vs France | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 3:00 PM | Senegal vs Iraq | BMO Field, Toronto |
Group J
Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jun 16 | 9:00 PM | Argentina vs Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 12:00 AM | Austria vs Jordan | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 1:00 PM | Argentina vs Austria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 11:00 PM | Jordan vs Algeria | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 10:00 PM | Jordan vs Argentina | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 10:00 PM | Algeria vs Austria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
Group K
Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun 17 | 1:00 PM | Portugal vs DR Congo | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 10:00 PM | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 1:00 PM | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 10:00 PM | Colombia vs DR Congo | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 7:30 PM | Colombia vs Portugal | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 7:30 PM | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
Group L
England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun 17 | 4:00 PM | England vs Croatia | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 7:00 PM | Ghana vs Panama | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 4:00 PM | England vs Ghana | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 7:00 PM | Panama vs Croatia | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 5:00 PM | Panama vs England | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 5:00 PM | Croatia vs Ghana | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
FAQ About 2026 World Cup Group Stage
When does the 2026 World Cup group stage start?
The group stage starts on June 11 with Mexico against South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The final group stage matches are played on June 27.
How many teams are in each group?
There are four teams in each of the 12 groups, for 48 teams total. Each team plays the other three teams in its group one time.
How many teams advance from the group stage?
A total of 32 teams advance. The top two teams from each group go through, which is 24 teams, plus the eight best third-place teams across all groups.
How many points do you get for a win in the group stage?
A win is worth 3 points, a draw is worth 1 point, and a loss is worth 0 points. With three matches per team, the most points a team can earn in the group stage is 9.
What happens if teams are tied on points?
FIFA breaks ties using goal difference first, then total goals scored, then the head-to-head result between the tied teams, then fair play record, and finally a drawing of lots.
Can a third-place team still advance?
Yes. The eight best third-place teams across the 12 groups advance to the Round of 32. Finishing third does not guarantee elimination, but a team needs to rank in the top eight of the 12 third-place finishers.
