A child touches a replica of the World Cup trophy in Mexico
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has now entered a crucial phase with the quarterfinals, semifinals and the coveted final match in sight.The tournament has enthralled fans this time in the host nations of USA, Canada, and Mexico. The final of this World Cup will be played on July 20 at 12.30 am (I.S.T) at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Also Read : The Hindu’s live coverage of the World CupThe World Cup saw some major upsets. Germany was beaten by Paraguay, marking a historic first, as Germany had never lost a penalty shootout. Paraguay ended their four-out-of-four shootout-winning streak. Brazil continued their painful 24-year championship drought, with Norway beating them. Morocco beat the Netherlands, marking the earliest World Cup exit in Dutch history.Cape Verde made their debut in the FIFA World Cup and won hearts with their grit and steadfastness. Iran went viral on social media due to the ongoing West Asia war and the tensions with USA, one of the hosts of the FIFA World Cup.While the field narrows for the title fight, this is your guide to what happens in the World Cup here on.Route to 2026 World Cup trophyThe round of 16 concludes on July 8. The next step is the quarterfinals. The four countries that win the QFs will head to the semifinals. The two countries that win the SFs will head to the Finals and have a shot at winning the coveted FIFA trophy and being the reigning champions of football.FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in India timingQuarterfinals TeamsDateTime(IST)WinnerQ1: Morocco vs FranceJuly 101.30 amTBDQ2: Spain vs BelgiumJuly 1112.30 amTBDQ3: Norway vs EnglandJuly 122.30 amTBDQ4: Argentina vs SwitzerlandJuly 126.30 amTBDSemifinalsTeamsDateTime(IST)WinnerS1: Q1 winner vs Q2 winnerJuly 155.30 amTBDS2: Q3 winner vs Q4 winnerJuly 165.30 amTBDFinalTeamsDateTime(IST)WinnerFinal: S1 vs S2July 2012.30 amTBD‘TBD’ is an abbreviation of ‘To be decided’. The knockout matches would decide which countries play against each other. Published - July 08, 2026 07:22 am IST
