Giant replicas of the FIFA 2026 World Cup trophy and ball.
| Photo Credit: Henry Romero
FIFA World Cup 2026 is being played across Canada, Mexico, and the USA, with stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kylian Mbappe keeping the high-octane football matches nail-biting. The event began on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and will conclude on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. The knockout matches begin on June 29, with South Africa playing tournament co-host Canada.The 2026 World Cup is the first time the tournament is being held across three nations, with an expanded roster of 48 nations competing in total. -
Here’s your guide about the teams that are competing, with the time of the matches according to Indian Standard Time (IST).The Hindu’s LIVE coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026Dates and timings of matches in IST. Round of 32Countries playingDateTime (IST)South Africa vs Canada June 29, 202612.30 am Brazil vs TBDJune 29, 202610.30 pm Germany vs TBDJune 30, 20262.00 am Morocco vs TBDJune 30, 20266.30 am TBD vs TBDJune 30, 202610.30 pmTBD vs TBDJuly 1, 20262.30 am Mexico vs TBDJuly 1, 20266.30 am TBD vs TBDJuly 1, 20269.30 pm TBD vs TBDJuly 2, 20261.30 am USA vs TBDJuly 2, 20265.30 am TBD vs TBDJuly 3, 202612.30 am TBD vs TBDJuly 3, 20264.30 am Switzerland vs TBDJuly 3, 20268.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 3, 202611.30 pmArgentina vs TBDJuly 4, 20263.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 4, 20267.00 am Round of 16Countries playingDateTime (IST)TBD vs TBDJuly 4, 202610.30 pmTBD vs TBDJuly 5, 20262.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 6, 20261.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 6, 20265.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 7, 202612.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 7, 20265.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 7, 20269.30 pmTBD vs TBDJuly 8, 20261.30 amQuarter-finalsCountries playingDateTime (IST)TBD vs TBDJuly 10, 20261.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 11, 202612.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 12, 20262.30 amTBD vs TBDJuly 12, 20266.30 amSemi-finals Countries playingDateTime (IST)TBD vs TBDJuly 15, 202612.30 am TBD vs TBDJuly 16, 202612.30 am FinalCountries playingDateTime (IST)TBD vs TBDJuly 20, 202612.30 am ‘TBD’ is an abbreviation of ‘To be decided’. The knockout matches would decide which countries play against each other. Published - June 25, 2026 04:42 pm IST
