There are few things more frustrating than misjudging the kick-off time of your favourite team’s match. You think you’re early, you glance at the team news, and then you realise the game has already started. By the time you look up, the first goal has gone in, and the conversation has already moved on.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is gearing up to be an absolute blockbuster. For the first time, football’s biggest tournament will be hosted across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We are talking more cities, more stadiums, more matches, and more excitement than ever before.
Including The Three Lions, there will be 48 teams who will be playing a total of 104 matches during the whole competition that will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026. This World Cup is going to dominate summer evenings across the UK. For fans following along in British Summer Time (BST), the timing is actually pretty decent — plenty of evening kick-offs, late matches perfect for the pub, and only a handful of real late nights. This page exists for one reason only — to give you the complete 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in British Summer Time (BST), so you never miss a kick.
🌍 A Quick Look Back at World Cup History
The FIFA World Cup was first held in 1930 with only 13 teams. Almost 100 years later, it is the biggest sporting event in the world. Every four years, it gives fans moments that will be remembered forever, goals that have become icons, teams that have entered into football history, and unforgettable nights for fans.
Whether through Pelé’s genius, Diego Maradona’s sorcery, Germany’s well-oiled machine, or Argentina’s heart-pounding victory in Qatar, the World Cup has always been the pinnacle of football.
Here’s a look at the most recent FIFA World Cup winners:
| Year | Host Nation | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Qatar | Argentina |
| 2018 | Russia | France |
| 2014 | Brazil | Germany |
| 2010 | South Africa | Spain |
| 2006 | Germany | Italy |
| 2002 | Japan & South Korea | Brazil |
| 1998 | France | France |
The Seleção (Brazil) still holds the title (5) of the most world cup championship despite winning the last title about 24 years ago, but with the expanded 2026 format, this World Cup feels more open than ever. More teams mean more shocks — and more unforgettable nights.
⚽ Quick Facts – 2026 FIFA World Cup
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Host Nations | USA, Canada, Mexico |
| Tournament Dates | 11 June – 19 July 2026 |
| Total Teams | 48 |
| Total Matches | 104 |
| Time Zone Used on This Page | British Summer Time (BST, UTC +1) |
| Final Venue | MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA |
🏟️ How the New 48-Team World Cup Format Works
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the debut of a 48-team format.
These teams are divided into 12 groups (Group A to L) of four teams each, and each team of a group will play against the other teams of the group once only, which means theoretically, each of the 48 teams will have three group stage games.
To continue the journey, the two best-performing teams from each group, based on the results of the teams competing against each other in the group stage, will qualify for the next round, and these 24 teams will then be accompanied by the eight best third-placed teams, who will be selected based on their overall performance among all the third-placed teams. These 32 teams will be part of a Round which is brand new for FIFA World Cups, called the Round of 32. This round will witness 16 matches in total that will decide the 16 teams for the Round of 16.
From the Round of 32 onwards, it will be a nonstop knockout thrill all the way to the final on 19 July 2026.
England & the World Cup Ambition
England & the World Cup AmbitionEngland head into the 2026 World Cup carrying expectations that rarely fade. As world champions in 1966, semi-finalists in 2018, and quarter-finalists in 2022, the sense that this side should be capable of something significant is never far away. Recent tournaments have shown a team comfortable in big moments, even if the final step has so far remained just out of reach.
There is also a feeling that this generation is better equipped than most. England arrive with a squad rich in attacking options, balanced by players who have now logged serious tournament minutes at both World Cups and European Championships. The expanded 2026 format offers a chance to build rhythm across the group stage and grow into the competition, but the fundamentals remain unchanged. When the knockouts arrive, margins are tight, mistakes are costly, and progress still depends on handling pressure as well as expectation.
England’s Matches in BST
The table below shows all matches involving England, with kick-off times displayed in British Summer Time (BST). The full tournament schedule is also available in the next section on this page.
| Date | Time | Team 1 Score Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
17 June, 2026 (Wednesday) |
9:00 PM (BST) |  England
vs
Croatia  |
23 June, 2026 (Tuesday) |
9:00 PM (BST) | England
vs
Ghana  |
27 June, 2026 (Saturday) |
10:00 PM (BST) |  Panama
vs
England |
The three Lions will kick off their campaign against a tough opponent in the form of Croatia on 17 June 2026 at 9:00 PM (BST), then they will have relatively easier opponents to face in Ghana on 23 June 2026 at 9:00 PM (BST) and Panama on 27 June 2026 at 10:00 PM (BST).
🕓 2026 FIFA World Cup Match Schedule in British Summer Time (BST)
With the tournament hosted in North America, UK fans are in a pretty comfortable spot. Most matches will kick off in the evening, with a few late-night fixtures depending on the city.
The opening match between Mexico and South Africa will be televised in the UK on 11 June 2026 at 8:00 PM (BST), while the final will be on 19 July 2026 at 8:00 PM (BST), wrapping up a month of football that will dominate the UK summer.
Below is the complete list of all 104 matches, with kick-off times converted to British Summer Time (BST). Use the filters to sort by team, venue, or stage:
| Date | Time | Team 1 Score Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
11 June, 2026 (Thursday) |
8:00 PM (BST) |  Mexico
vs
South Africa  |
12 June, 2026 (Friday) |
3:00 AM (BST) |  South Korea
vs
DEN/MKD/CZE/IRL |
8:00 PM (BST) |  Canada
vs
ITA/NIR/WAL/BIH | |
13 June, 2026 (Saturday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |  USA
vs
Paraguay  |
8:00 PM (BST) |  Qatar
vs
Switzerland  | |
11:00 PM (BST) |  Brazil
vs
Morocco  | |
14 June, 2026 (Sunday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |  Haiti
vs
Scotland  |
5:00 AM (BST) |  Australia
vs
TUR/ROU/SVK/KOS | |
6:00 PM (BST) |  Germany
vs
Curaçao  | |
9:00 PM (BST) |  Netherlands
vs
Japan  | |
15 June, 2026 (Monday) |
12:00 AM (BST) |  Ivory Coast
vs
Ecuador  |
3:00 AM (BST) |
UKR/SWE/POL/ALB
vs
Tunisia  | |
5:00 PM (BST) |  Spain
vs
Cape Verde  | |
8:00 PM (BST) |  Belgium
vs
Egypt  | |
11:00 PM (BST) |  Saudi Arabia
vs
Uruguay  | |
16 June, 2026 (Tuesday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |  Iran
vs
New Zealand  |
8:00 PM (BST) |  France
vs
Senegal  | |
11:00 PM (BST) |
BOL/SUR/IRQ
vs
Norway  | |
17 June, 2026 (Wednesday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |  Argentina
vs
Algeria  |
5:00 AM (BST) |  Austria
vs
Jordan  | |
6:00 PM (BST) |  Portugal
vs
NCL/JAM/COD | |
9:00 PM (BST) | England
vs
Croatia | |
18 June, 2026 (Thursday) |
12:00 AM (BST) | Ghana
vs
Panama |
3:00 AM (BST) |  Uzbekistan
vs
Colombia  | |
5:00 PM (BST) |
DEN/MKD/CZE/IRL
vs
South Africa | |
8:00 PM (BST) | Switzerland
vs
ITA/NIR/WAL/BIH | |
11:00 PM (BST) | Canada
vs
Qatar | |
19 June, 2026 (Friday) |
2:00 AM (BST) | Mexico
vs
South Korea |
8:00 PM (BST) | USA
vs
Australia | |
11:00 PM (BST) | Scotland
vs
Morocco | |
20 June, 2026 (Saturday) |
2:00 AM (BST) | Brazil
vs
Haiti |
5:00 AM (BST) |
TUR/ROU/SVK/KOS
vs
Paraguay | |
6:00 PM (BST) | Netherlands
vs
UKR/SWE/POL/ALB | |
9:00 PM (BST) | Germany
vs
Ivory Coast | |
21 June, 2026 (Sunday) |
1:00 AM (BST) | Ecuador
vs
Curaçao |
5:00 AM (BST) | Tunisia
vs
Japan | |
5:00 PM (BST) | Spain
vs
Saudi Arabia | |
8:00 PM (BST) | Belgium
vs
Iran | |
11:00 PM (BST) | Uruguay
vs
Cape Verde | |
22 June, 2026 (Monday) |
2:00 AM (BST) | New Zealand
vs
Egypt |
6:00 PM (BST) | Argentina
vs
Austria | |
10:00 PM (BST) | France
vs
BOL/SUR/IRQ | |
23 June, 2026 (Tuesday) |
1:00 AM (BST) | Norway
vs
Senegal |
4:00 AM (BST) | Jordan
vs
Algeria | |
6:00 PM (BST) | Portugal
vs
Uzbekistan | |
9:00 PM (BST) | England
vs
Ghana | |
24 June, 2026 (Wednesday) |
12:00 AM (BST) | Panama
vs
Croatia |
3:00 AM (BST) | Colombia
vs
NCL/JAM/COD | |
8:00 PM (BST) | Switzerland
vs
Canada | |
8:00 PM (BST) |
ITA/NIR/WAL/BIH
vs
Qatar | |
11:00 PM (BST) | Scotland
vs
Brazil | |
11:00 PM (BST) | Morocco
vs
Haiti | |
25 June, 2026 (Thursday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |
DEN/MKD/CZE/IRL
vs
Mexico |
2:00 AM (BST) | South Africa
vs
South Korea | |
9:00 PM (BST) | Curaçao
vs
Ivory Coast | |
9:00 PM (BST) | Ecuador
vs
Germany | |
26 June, 2026 (Friday) |
12:00 AM (BST) | Japan
vs
UKR/SWE/POL/ALB |
12:00 AM (BST) | Tunisia
vs
Netherlands | |
3:00 AM (BST) |
TUR/ROU/SVK/KOS
vs
USA | |
3:00 AM (BST) | Paraguay
vs
Australia | |
8:00 PM (BST) | Norway
vs
France | |
8:00 PM (BST) | Senegal
vs
BOL/SUR/IRQ | |
27 June, 2026 (Saturday) |
1:00 AM (BST) | Cape Verde
vs
Saudi Arabia |
1:00 AM (BST) | Uruguay
vs
Spain | |
4:00 AM (BST) | Egypt
vs
Iran | |
4:00 AM (BST) | New Zealand
vs
Belgium | |
10:00 PM (BST) | Panama
vs
England | |
10:00 PM (BST) | Croatia
vs
Ghana | |
28 June, 2026 (Sunday) |
12:30 AM (BST) | Colombia
vs
Portugal |
12:30 AM (BST) |
NCL/JAM/COD
vs
Uzbekistan | |
3:00 AM (BST) | Algeria
vs
Austria | |
3:00 AM (BST) | Jordan
vs
Argentina | |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Runner-up Group A
vs
Runner-up Group B | |
29 June, 2026 (Monday) |
6:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group C
vs
Runner-up Group F |
9:30 PM (BST) |
Winner Group E
vs
3rd Group A/B/C/D/F | |
30 June, 2026 (Tuesday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Group F
vs
Runner-up Group C |
6:00 PM (BST) |
Runner-up Group E
vs
Runner-up Group I | |
10:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group I
vs
3rd Group C/D/F/G/H | |
1 July, 2026 (Wednesday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Group A
vs
3rd Group C/E/F/H/I |
5:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group L
vs
3rd Group E/H/I/J/K | |
9:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group G
vs
3rd Group A/E/H/I/J | |
2 July, 2026 (Thursday) |
1:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Group D
vs
3rd Group B/E/F/I/J |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group H
vs
Runner-up Group J | |
3 July, 2026 (Friday) |
12:00 AM (BST) |
Runner-up Group K
vs
Runner-up Group L |
4:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Group B
vs
3rd Group E/F/G/I/J | |
7:00 PM (BST) |
Runner-up Group D
vs
Runner-up Group G | |
11:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Group J
vs
Runner-up Group H | |
4 July, 2026 (Saturday) |
2:30 AM (BST) |
Winner Group K
vs
3rd Group D/E/I/J/L |
6:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 73
vs
Winner Match 75 | |
10:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 74
vs
Winner Match 77 | |
5 July, 2026 (Sunday) |
9:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 76
vs
Winner Match 78 |
6 July, 2026 (Monday) |
1:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Match 79
vs
Winner Match 80 |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 83
vs
Winner Match 84 | |
7 July, 2026 (Tuesday) |
1:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Match 81
vs
Winner Match 82 |
5:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 86
vs
Winner Match 88 | |
9:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 85
vs
Winner Match 87 | |
9 July, 2026 (Thursday) |
9:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 89
vs
Winner Match 90 |
10 July, 2026 (Friday) |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 93
vs
Winner Match 94 |
11 July, 2026 (Saturday) |
10:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 91
vs
Winner Match 92 |
12 July, 2026 (Sunday) |
2:00 AM (BST) |
Winner Match 95
vs
Winner Match 96 |
14 July, 2026 (Tuesday) |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 97
vs
Winner Match 98 |
15 July, 2026 (Wednesday) |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 99
vs
Winner Match 100 |
18 July, 2026 (Saturday) |
10:00 PM (BST) |
Loser Match 101
vs
Loser Match 102 |
19 July, 2026 (Sunday) |
8:00 PM (BST) |
Winner Match 101
vs
Winner Match 102 |
📺 How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the UK
- BBC (free-to-air)
- ITV (free-to-air)
- BBC iPlayer & ITVX (streaming)
- FIFA+ for highlights and official content
🌐 View Schedules in Other Time Zones
❓ UK & 2026 World Cup – FAQs
Q1. What time will most matches kick off in BST?
Most matches will kick off in the evening, with a handful of late-night/early-morning games.
Q2. How many teams are playing in 2026?
48 teams, including England.
Q3. How many matches are there?
A total of 104 matches will be played from the opening match to the final match.
Q4. When is the final in BST?
The final takes place on 19 July 2026 at 8:00 PM (BST).
Q5. Where can UK fans watch the World Cup?
On BBC, ITV, and their streaming platforms.
Long summer evenings, packed pubs, and World Cup football — that’s the UK in 2026. Bookmark this page, keep the BST schedule handy, and enjoy every moment of the biggest World Cup ever.
