June 2, 2026
Brazil’s midfielder #05 Casemiro celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the international friendly football match between Brazil and Panama at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP)
Football fans in Nigeria will need to prepare for a mix of evening, late-night and early-morning viewing when the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time in World Cup history, will be staged across multiple cities and time zones in North America. As a result, kick-off times for viewers in Nigeria will vary significantly depending on the host city.
Nigeria operates on West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1), which is several hours ahead of the North American time zones that will host the competition. This means that while some matches will be conveniently scheduled in the evening for Nigerian audiences, others will take place well after midnight.
