New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) The wait is finally over, and the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history, will begin on June 12 (IST) and conclude with the final on July 20 (IST), featuring a record 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The expanded format introduces 12 groups of four teams each, replacing the previous structure of eight groups. The top two teams from every group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will advance to the knockout stage, creating a new Round of 32 before the traditional Round of 16.

The Groups

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Czechia

Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti

Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey

Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curaçao

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde

Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq

Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Colombia, DR Congo, Uzbekistan

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

For Indian football fans planning to follow the action through the night and early mornings, here is the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Indian Standard Time (IST).

Friday, June 12

Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, 12:30 AM IST – Mexico City

Group A: South Korea vs Czechia, 7:30 AM IST – Zapopan

Saturday, June 13

Group B: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12:30 AM IST – Toronto

Group D: USA vs Paraguay, 6:30 AM IST – Los Angeles

Sunday, June 14

Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, 12:30 AM IST – Santa Clara

Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, 3:30 AM IST – New Jersey

Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, 6:30 AM IST – Foxboroug

Group D: Australia vs Turkey, 9:30 AM IST – Vancouver

Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, 10:30 PM IST – Houston

Monday, June 15

Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, 1:30 AM IST – Arlington

Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 4:30 AM IST – Philadelphia

Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, 7:30 AM IST – Guadalajara

Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde, 9:30 PM IST – Atlanta

Tuesday, June 16

Group G: Belgium vs Egypt, 12:30 AM IST – Seattle

Group H: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, 3:30 AM IST – Miami

Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, 6:30 AM IST – Los Angeles

Wednesday, June 17

Group I: France vs Senegal, 12:30 AM IST – New Jersey

Group I: Iraq vs Norway, 3:30 AM IST – Foxborough

Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, 6:30 AM IST – Kansas City

Group J: Austria vs Jordan, 9:30 AM IST – Santa Clara

Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, 10:30 PM IST – Houston

Thursday, June 18

Group L: England vs Croatia, 1:30 AM IST – Arlington

Group L: Ghana vs Panama, 4:30 AM IST – Toronto

Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 7:30 AM IST – Mexico City

Thursday, June 18

Group A: Czechia vs South Africa, 9:30 PM IST – Atlanta

Friday, June 19

Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12:30 AM IST – Los Angeles

Group B: Canada vs Qatar, 3:30 AM IST – Vancouver

Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, 6:30 AM IST – Zapopan

Saturday, June 20

Group D: USA vs Australia, 12:30 AM IST – Seattle

Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, 3:30 AM IST – Foxborough

Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, 6:00 AM IST – Philadelphia

Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, 8:30 AM IST – Santa Clara

Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden, 10:30 PM IST – Houston

Sunday, June 21

Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, 1:30 AM IST – Toronto

Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, 5:30 AM IST – Kansas City

Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, 9:30 AM IST – Guadalajar

Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 9:30 PM IST – Atlanta

Monday, June 22

Group G: Belgium vs Iran, 12:30 AM IST – Los Angeles

Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 3:30 AM IST – Miami

Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, 6:30 AM IST – Vancouver

Group J: Argentina vs Austria, 10:30 PM IST – Arlington

Tuesday, June 23

Group I: France vs Iraq, 2:30 AM IST – Philadelphia

Group I: Norway vs Senegal, 5:30 AM IST – Toronto

Group J: Jordan vs Algeria, 8:30 AM IST – Santa Clara

Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 10:30 PM IST – Houston

Wednesday, June 24

Group L: England vs Ghana, 1:30 AM IST – Foxborough

Group L: Panama vs Croatia, 4:30 AM IST – Foxboroug

Group K: Colombia vs DR Congo, 7:30 AM IST – Zapopan

Thursday, June 25

Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, 12:30 AM IST – Vancouver

Group B: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, 12:30 AM IST – Seattle

Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, 3:30 AM IST – Atlant

Group C: Scotland vs Brazil, 3:30 AM IST – Miami

Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, 6:30 AM IST – Guadalajara

Group A: Czechia vs Mexico, 6:30 AM IST – Mexico City

Friday, June 26

Group E: Curaçao vs Ivory Coast, 1:30 AM IST – Philadelphia

Group E: Ecuador vs Germany, 1:30 AM IST – New Jerse

Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, 4:30 AM IST – Kansas City

Group F: Japan vs Sweden, 4:30 AM IST – Arlington

Group D: Turkey vs USA, 7:30 AM IST – Los Angeles

Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, 7:30 AM IST – Santa Clara

Saturday, June 27

Group I: Norway vs France, 12:30 AM IST – Foxboroug

Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, 12:30 AM IST – Toronto

Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 5:30 AM IST – Housto

Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, 5:30 AM IST – Zapopan

Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, 8:30 AM IST – Vancouver

Group G: Egypt vs Iran, 8:30 AM IST – Seattle

Sunday, June 28

Group L: Panama vs England, 2:30 AM IST – New Jersey

Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, 2:30 AM IST – Philadelphia

Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, 5:00 AM IST – Miami

Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, 5:00 AM IST – Atlanta

Group J: Algeria vs Austria, 7:30 AM IST – Kansas City

Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, 7:30 AM IST – Arlington

The group stage will conclude on June 28, following which the newly introduced Round of 32 will be played from June 29 to July 4. The Round of 16 is scheduled from July 4 to July 8, while the quarterfinals will take place from July 10 to July 12.

The two semifinals are scheduled for July 15 and July 16 in Arlington and Atlanta respectively. The third-place playoff will be held on July 19 in Miami, while the FIFA World Cup 2026 final will be played on July 20 at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

–IANS

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