2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage: Teams, Schedule, Venues & Format
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest tournament in football history. All 48 teams are confirmed. The group stage runs from June 11 to June 27 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This guide covers the format, all 12 confirmed groups, the full schedule, host cities and everything you need before kick-off.
Last updated: April 2, 2026. All 48 teams confirmed.
How Does the Group Stage Work?
The 2026 World Cup uses a brand new format. The tournament expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams for the first time ever.
FIFA divided all 48 teams into 12 groups of four. Every team plays three matches against the other teams in their group. The full tournament features 104 matches compared to 64 in previous World Cups.
The top two teams from each group advance automatically. That gives 24 teams. The eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups also advance. That brings the total to 32 teams in the knockout stage.
The tournament adds a new Round of 32 that never existed before. Teams must win this round before reaching the traditional Round of 16.
Tiebreakers between teams with equal points apply in this order:
- Points earned in head-to-head matches between the tied teams
- Goal difference in head-to-head matches between the tied teams
- Goals scored in head-to-head matches between the tied teams
- Overall goal difference in all group matches
- Overall goals scored in all group matches
- Fair play score (team conduct record)
- FIFA world ranking
- Drawing of lots
Pathway rule: Spain, Argentina, France and England sit on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. They cannot meet each other until the semifinals even if all four win their groups.
All 12 Confirmed Groups
All six playoff spots are now filled. The complete 48-team field is confirmed.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Group A | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia |
| Group B | Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland |
| Group C | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland |
| Group D | United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye |
| Group E | Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador |
| Group F | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia |
| Group G | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand |
| Group H | Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay |
| Group I | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway |
| Group J | Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan |
| Group K | Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia |
| Group L | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama |
Qualified Teams for 2026 World Cup Group Stage
All 48 teams have now secured their spots. The final six came through the UEFA playoffs (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Türkiye, Czechia) and the inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico (DR Congo, Iraq).
By confederation:
- Europe (UEFA): England, France, Croatia, Norway, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Türkiye, Czechia
- Africa (CAF): Algeria, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia
- Asia (AFC): Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Iraq
- South America (CONMEBOL): Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay
- North America (CONCACAF): United States, Canada, Mexico, Curaçao, Haiti, Panama
- Oceania (OFC): New Zealand
FIFA divided teams into four pots for the December 5, 2025 draw in Washington D.C. Pot 1 held the three host nations plus the nine highest-ranked qualified teams: USA, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Pot 2 contained the next 12 best-ranked teams. Pot 3 held the following 12. Pot 4 included the lowest-ranked qualifiers plus the six playoff winners who were unknown at draw time.
Four nations make their World Cup debut in 2026. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all qualified for the first time. Curaçao make history as the smallest nation by population ever to reach the World Cup.
2026 FIFA World Cup Group Stage Schedule
The group stage runs from June 11 through June 27, 2026. All 72 group stage matches take place across 17 days. All times listed are ET.
| Date | Match | Group | Time ET | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Jun 11 | Mexico vs South Africa | A | 3:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Thu Jun 11 | South Korea vs Czechia | A | 10:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Fri Jun 12 | Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | 3:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Fri Jun 12 | USA vs Paraguay | D | 9:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sat Jun 13 | Australia vs Türkiye | D | 12:00 AM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Sat Jun 13 | Qatar vs Switzerland | B | 3:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Sat Jun 13 | Brazil vs Morocco | C | 6:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat Jun 13 | Haiti vs Scotland | C | 9:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Sun Jun 14 | Germany vs Curaçao | E | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sun Jun 14 | Netherlands vs Japan | F | 4:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Sun Jun 14 | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | E | 7:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sun Jun 14 | Sweden vs Tunisia | F | 10:00 PM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Mon Jun 15 | Spain vs Cape Verde | H | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Mon Jun 15 | Belgium vs Egypt | G | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Mon Jun 15 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | H | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Mon Jun 15 | Iran vs New Zealand | G | 9:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Tue Jun 16 | France vs Senegal | I | 3:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Tue Jun 16 | Iraq vs Norway | I | 6:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue Jun 16 | Argentina vs Algeria | J | 9:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Tue Jun 16 | Austria vs Jordan | J | 12:00 AM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Wed Jun 17 | Portugal vs DR Congo | K | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Wed Jun 17 | England vs Croatia | L | 4:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Wed Jun 17 | Ghana vs Panama | L | 7:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Wed Jun 17 | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | K | 10:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Thu Jun 18 | Czechia vs South Africa | A | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Thu Jun 18 | Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | B | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu Jun 18 | Canada vs Qatar | B | 6:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Thu Jun 18 | Mexico vs South Korea | A | 9:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Fri Jun 19 | Türkiye vs Paraguay | D | 12:00 AM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Fri Jun 19 | USA vs Australia | D | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri Jun 19 | Scotland vs Morocco | C | 6:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Fri Jun 19 | Brazil vs Haiti | C | 9:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sat Jun 20 | Netherlands vs Sweden | F | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Sat Jun 20 | Germany vs Ivory Coast | E | 4:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Sat Jun 20 | Ecuador vs Curaçao | E | 8:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Sat Jun 20 | Tunisia vs Japan | F | 12:00 AM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Sun Jun 21 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | H | 12:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Sun Jun 21 | Belgium vs Iran | G | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Sun Jun 21 | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | H | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Sun Jun 21 | New Zealand vs Egypt | G | 9:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Mon Jun 22 | Argentina vs Austria | J | 1:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Mon Jun 22 | France vs Iraq | I | 5:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Mon Jun 22 | Norway vs Senegal | I | 8:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Mon Jun 22 | Jordan vs Algeria | J | 11:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Tue Jun 23 | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | K | 1:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Tue Jun 23 | England vs Ghana | L | 4:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Tue Jun 23 | Panama vs Croatia | L | 7:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Tue Jun 23 | Colombia vs DR Congo | K | 10:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Wed Jun 24 | Switzerland vs Canada | B | 3:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Wed Jun 24 | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar | B | 3:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Wed Jun 24 | Scotland vs Brazil | C | 6:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Wed Jun 24 | Morocco vs Haiti | C | 6:00 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Wed Jun 24 | Czechia vs Mexico | A | 9:00 PM | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Wed Jun 24 | South Africa vs South Korea | A | 9:00 PM | Estadio BBVA, Monterrey |
| Thu Jun 25 | Ecuador vs Germany | E | 4:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Thu Jun 25 | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | E | 4:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Thu Jun 25 | Japan vs Netherlands | F | 7:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| Thu Jun 25 | Tunisia vs Sweden | F | 7:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Thu Jun 25 | Türkiye vs USA | D | 10:00 PM | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Thu Jun 25 | Paraguay vs Australia | D | 10:00 PM | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara |
| Fri Jun 26 | Norway vs France | I | 3:00 PM | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
| Fri Jun 26 | Senegal vs Iraq | I | 3:00 PM | BMO Field, Toronto |
| Fri Jun 26 | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | H | 8:00 PM | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Fri Jun 26 | Uruguay vs Spain | H | 8:00 PM | Estadio Akron, Guadalajara |
| Fri Jun 26 | Egypt vs Iran | G | 11:00 PM | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| Fri Jun 26 | New Zealand vs Belgium | G | 11:00 PM | BC Place, Vancouver |
| Sat Jun 27 | Panama vs England | L | 5:00 PM | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| Sat Jun 27 | Croatia vs Ghana | L | 5:00 PM | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| Sat Jun 27 | Colombia vs Portugal | K | 7:30 PM | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens |
| Sat Jun 27 | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | K | 7:30 PM | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
| Sat Jun 27 | Algeria vs Austria | J | 10:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City |
| Sat Jun 27 | Jordan vs Argentina | J | 10:00 PM | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
Group Stage Host Cities and Stadiums
Sixteen cities across three countries host World Cup matches. This marks the first time three nations share hosting duties for a World Cup.
United States
The US hosts matches across 11 cities. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey hosts the final on July 19, 2026. The venue holds 82,500 fans. AT&T Stadium in Arlington gets the most matches. Los Angeles brings SoFi Stadium with 70,000 seats. Atlanta offers Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 75,000 capacity.
Houston provides NRG Stadium. Kansas City features Arrowhead Stadium. Seattle uses Lumen Field. The San Francisco Bay Area presents Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Philadelphia, Boston and Miami round out the American host cities.
Mexico
Mexico hosts 13 matches across 3 cities. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City becomes the only stadium to host three World Cups after 1970 and 1986. The venue seats 87,500 fans and hosts the tournament opener. Guadalajara brings Estadio Akron with 48,071 capacity. Monterrey offers Estadio BBVA holding 53,529 fans.
Canada
Canada hosts World Cup matches for the first time with 13 games across 2 cities. Toronto provides BMO Field with 45,736 seats. Vancouver presents BC Place holding 54,000 fans. Both stadiums received major upgrades to meet FIFA standards.
What Happens after the Group Stage?
The knockout stage begins once the group stage ends on June 27. Thirty-two teams advance — all 12 group winners, all 12 runners-up and the 8 best third-place teams.
The Round of 32 begins on June 28. Winners move to the Round of 16, then quarterfinals, then semifinals and finally the final. All matches from the quarterfinals forward take place in the United States only. Teams reaching the final play eight total matches instead of seven as in previous tournaments.
WC 2026 Group Stage Match FAQs
How many teams advance from each group?
The top two teams advance automatically. The eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups also move forward for a total of 32 teams in the knockout stage.
Can teams from the same confederation share a group?
No, except for Europe. UEFA has 16 teams so some groups contain two European sides.
What decides ties between teams with the same points?
FIFA applies tiebreakers in this order: head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, head-to-head goals scored, overall goal difference, overall goals scored, fair play score, FIFA ranking and drawing of lots.
Which stadium hosts the opening match?
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. Mexico face South Africa in a replay of the 2010 World Cup opener.
How long does the group stage last?
Seventeen days from June 11 to June 27, 2026.
Which teams make their World Cup debut in 2026?
Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all qualify for the first time in 2026.
Where can fans watch matches?
Fox Sports and FS1 broadcast all matches in the USA in English. Telemundo covers games in Spanish. Peacock streams matches with a paid subscription. Check out our full watching guide.
