2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule in Nepal Standard Time (NPT)

The very first FIFA World Cup kicked off back in 1930, with Uruguay playing host to just 13 teams. Fast forward to today, and that modest tournament has exploded into the biggest, most-watched sporting spectacle on the planet. It rolls out every four years, and each edition leaves behind moments that stick with fans for life—screamers from nowhere, shock results no one predicted, and champions whose names get etched into football folklore.

Think about it. Pelé lighting up the world, Maradona doing things that still feel unreal, Germany showing up with ruthless consistency, or Argentina’s emotional, edge-of-your-seat triumph in 2022. This is football stripped down to its rawest form. And now, the 2026 World Cup is gearing up to write the next chapter, promising more teams, more matches, and a whole new set of stories waiting to be told.

What’s surprising is that even though Brazil last lifted the trophy 24 years ago, they’re still the most successful nation in World Cup history with five titles to their name. Four stars each sit above the crests of Germany and Italy, right behind them. Records may be made to be broken—but some legacies are hard to catch.

Here’s the thing—the World Cup format isn’t what you’re used to anymore. With the tournament expanding from 32 teams to a whopping 48, FIFA had to shake things up. Now, those 48 teams are split into 12 groups, with four teams in each. Every side plays the others in its group once.

From there, the pressure really kicks in. The top two teams in each group move on automatically. No surprises there. But here’s the twist: eight of the best third-placed teams also sneak through. That sets up a brand-new Round of 32 instead of the old Round of 16. And once you hit that stage, it’s do-or-die football. Lose a match, and that’s it—time to book your flight home.

The knockout action gets rolling in late June and doesn’t let up until the final whistle on 19 July 2026. What does all this mean for you as a fan? More matches, more drama, and more moments that actually matter. Plus, with games spread across a wider range of kick-off times, it’s a pretty good deal for fans in Nepal—you can catch matches across different windows without wrecking your entire sleep schedule. Not bad at all.

Nepal might not have made it to a FIFA World Cup just yet, but don’t mistake that for a lack of love for the game. Football runs deep here. You see it on dusty neighbourhood grounds, in school playgrounds, and in cafés that fill up fast whenever a big international match is on. When the World Cup rolls around, the whole country tunes in.

On the regional front, Nepal has been a familiar face in competitions like the SAFF Championship. Progress hasn’t been overnight, sure, but steady improvements in youth programs and domestic football have kept the bigger dream alive. Slowly, brick by brick.

For Nepali fans, the World Cup isn’t just about whether the national team qualifies. It’s bigger than that. It’s inspiration. A benchmark. A glimpse of where the game can take you if everything clicks. When the 2026 tournament kicks off, the world’s best players will once again light up screens across Nepal—and with them, spark fresh dreams for the next generation.

With matches being played across North America, fans in Nepal should expect a mix of late-night and early-morning kick-offs. Most games will fall between 12:45 AM and 07:45 AM NPT, depending on the host city and match slot.

The opening match will kick off at 12:45 AM NPT on 12 June 2026 when Mexico take on South Africa, and the all-important final will take place on 20 July 2026 at 12:45 AM NPT.

Below is the complete schedule of all 104 matches, with every kick-off time displayed in Nepal Standard Time (NPT):

Filter by: Select Category Team Venue Stage Reset

Date	Time	Team 1 Score Team 2
12 June, 2026 (Friday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Mexico vs South Africa Mexico City Match No. 1 Group A
	7:45 AM (NPT)	South Korea vs Czechia Guadalajara Match No. 2 Group A
13 June, 2026 (Saturday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Canada vs Bosnia Toronto Match No. 3 Group B
	6:45 AM (NPT)	USA vs Paraguay Los Angeles Match No. 4 Group D
14 June, 2026 (Sunday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Qatar vs Switzerland SF Bay Area Match No. 8 Group B
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Brazil vs Morocco New York Match No. 7 Group C
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Haiti vs Scotland Boston Match No. 5 Group C
	9:45 AM (NPT)	Australia vs Turkey Vancouver Match No. 6 Group D
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Germany vs Curaçao Houston Match No. 10 Group E
15 June, 2026 (Monday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Netherlands vs Japan Dallas Match No. 11 Group F
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Ivory Coast vs Ecuador Philadelphia Match No. 9 Group E
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Sweden vs Tunisia Monterrey Match No. 12 Group F
	9:45 PM (NPT)	Spain vs Cape Verde Atlanta Match No. 14 Group H
16 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Belgium vs Egypt Seattle Match No. 16 Group G
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay Miami Match No. 13 Group H
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Iran vs New Zealand Los Angeles Match No. 15 Group G
17 June, 2026 (Wednesday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	France vs Senegal New York Match No. 17 Group I
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Iraq vs Norway Boston Match No. 18 Group I
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Argentina vs Algeria Kansas City Match No. 19 Group J
	9:45 AM (NPT)	Austria vs Jordan SF Bay Area Match No. 20 Group J
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Portugal vs DR Congo Houston Match No. 23 Group K
18 June, 2026 (Thursday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	England vs Croatia Dallas Match No. 22 Group L
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Ghana vs Panama Toronto Match No. 21 Group L
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Uzbekistan vs Colombia Mexico City Match No. 24 Group K
	9:45 PM (NPT)	Czechia vs South Africa Atlanta Match No. 25 Group A
19 June, 2026 (Friday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Switzerland vs Bosnia Los Angeles Match No. 26 Group B
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Canada vs Qatar Vancouver Match No. 27 Group B
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Mexico vs South Korea Guadalajara Match No. 28 Group A
20 June, 2026 (Saturday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	USA vs Australia Seattle Match No. 32 Group D
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Scotland vs Morocco Boston Match No. 30 Group C
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Brazil vs Haiti Philadelphia Match No. 29 Group C
	9:45 AM (NPT)	Turkey vs Paraguay SF Bay Area Match No. 31 Group D
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Netherlands vs Sweden Houston Match No. 35 Group F
21 June, 2026 (Sunday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Germany vs Ivory Coast Toronto Match No. 33 Group E
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Ecuador vs Curaçao Kansas City Match No. 34 Group E
	9:45 AM (NPT)	Tunisia vs Japan Monterrey Match No. 36 Group F
	9:45 PM (NPT)	Spain vs Saudi Arabia Atlanta Match No. 38 Group H
22 June, 2026 (Monday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Belgium vs Iran Los Angeles Match No. 39 Group G
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Uruguay vs Cape Verde Miami Match No. 37 Group H
	6:45 AM (NPT)	New Zealand vs Egypt Vancouver Match No. 40 Group G
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Argentina vs Austria Dallas Match No. 43 Group J
23 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	France vs Iraq Philadelphia Match No. 42 Group I
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Norway vs Senegal New York Match No. 41 Group I
	8:45 AM (NPT)	Jordan vs Algeria SF Bay Area Match No. 44 Group J
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Portugal vs Uzbekistan Houston Match No. 47 Group K
24 June, 2026 (Wednesday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	England vs Ghana Boston Match No. 45 Group L
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Panama vs Croatia Toronto Match No. 46 Group L
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Colombia vs DR Congo Guadalajara Match No. 48 Group K
25 June, 2026 (Thursday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Switzerland vs Canada Vancouver Match No. 51 Group B
	12:45 AM (NPT)	Bosnia vs Qatar Seattle Match No. 52 Group B
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Scotland vs Brazil Miami Match No. 49 Group C
	3:45 AM (NPT)	Morocco vs Haiti Atlanta Match No. 50 Group C
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Czechia vs Mexico Mexico City Match No. 53 Group A
	6:45 AM (NPT)	South Africa vs South Korea Monterrey Match No. 54 Group A
26 June, 2026 (Friday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Curaçao vs Ivory Coast Philadelphia Match No. 55 Group E
	1:45 AM (NPT)	Ecuador vs Germany New York Match No. 56 Group E
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Japan vs Sweden Dallas Match No. 57 Group F
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Tunisia vs Netherlands Kansas City Match No. 58 Group F
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Turkey vs USA Los Angeles Match No. 59 Group D
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Paraguay vs Australia SF Bay Area Match No. 60 Group D
27 June, 2026 (Saturday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Norway vs France Boston Match No. 61 Group I
	12:45 AM (NPT)	Senegal vs Iraq Toronto Match No. 62 Group I
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia Houston Match No. 65 Group H
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Uruguay vs Spain Guadalajara Match No. 66 Group H
	8:45 AM (NPT)	Egypt vs Iran Seattle Match No. 63 Group G
	8:45 AM (NPT)	New Zealand vs Belgium Vancouver Match No. 64 Group G
28 June, 2026 (Sunday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	Panama vs England New York Match No. 67 Group L
	2:45 AM (NPT)	Croatia vs Ghana Philadelphia Match No. 68 Group L
	5:15 AM (NPT)	Colombia vs Portugal Miami Match No. 71 Group K
	5:15 AM (NPT)	DR Congo vs Uzbekistan Atlanta Match No. 72 Group K
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Algeria vs Austria Kansas City Match No. 69 Group J
	7:45 AM (NPT)	Jordan vs Argentina Dallas Match No. 70 Group J
29 June, 2026 (Monday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B Los Angeles Match No. 73 Round of 32
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F Houston Match No. 76 Round of 32
30 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	2:15 AM (NPT)	Winner Group E vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D/F Boston Match No. 74 Round of 32
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C Monterrey Match No. 75 Round of 32
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I Dallas Match No. 78 Round of 32
1 July, 2026 (Wednesday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group I vs 3rd Group C/D/F/G/H New York Match No. 77 Round of 32
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group A vs 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I Mexico City Match No. 79 Round of 32
	9:45 PM (NPT)	Winner Group L vs 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K Atlanta Match No. 80 Round of 32
2 July, 2026 (Thursday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group G vs 3rd Group A/E/H/I/J Seattle Match No. 82 Round of 32
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group D vs 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J SF Bay Area Match No. 81 Round of 32
3 July, 2026 (Friday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J Los Angeles Match No. 84 Round of 32
	4:45 AM (NPT)	Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L Toronto Match No. 83 Round of 32
	8:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group B vs 3rd Group E/F/G/I/J Vancouver Match No. 85 Round of 32
	11:45 PM (NPT)	Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G Dallas Match No. 88 Round of 32
4 July, 2026 (Saturday)	3:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H Miami Match No. 86 Round of 32
	7:15 AM (NPT)	Winner Group K vs 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L Kansas City Match No. 87 Round of 32
	10:45 PM (NPT)	Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 Houston Match No. 90 Round of 16
5 July, 2026 (Sunday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 Philadelphia Match No. 89 Round of 16
6 July, 2026 (Monday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 New York Match No. 91 Round of 16
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 Mexico City Match No. 92 Round of 16
7 July, 2026 (Tuesday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 Dallas Match No. 93 Round of 16
	5:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 Seattle Match No. 94 Round of 16
	9:45 PM (NPT)	Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 Atlanta Match No. 95 Round of 16
8 July, 2026 (Wednesday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 Vancouver Match No. 96 Round of 16
10 July, 2026 (Friday)	1:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90 Boston Match No. 97 Quarterfinals
11 July, 2026 (Saturday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 Los Angeles Match No. 98 Quarterfinals
12 July, 2026 (Sunday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92 Miami Match No. 99 Quarterfinals
	6:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96 Kansas City Match No. 100 Quarterfinals
15 July, 2026 (Wednesday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98 Dallas Match No. 101 Semifinals
16 July, 2026 (Thursday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100 Atlanta Match No. 102 Semifinals
19 July, 2026 (Sunday)	2:45 AM (NPT)	Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102 Miami Match No. 103 Third place
20 July, 2026 (Monday)	12:45 AM (NPT)	Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102 New York Match No. 104 Final

The 104 matches of the tournament will be played across 16 host cities in three countries, making it the most geographically expansive World Cup ever held.

The United States will host the majority of matches, with games taking place in New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Kansas City.

Canada will host the matches in Toronto and Vancouver, while Mexico, a country with deep roots of football, will welcome the fans in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.

• Prime TV
• FIFA+ for highlights and selected matches

What time will World Cup matches be played in Nepal?
Most matches will kick off during late-night or early-morning hours in Nepal, depending on the venue. All times above are shown in NPT.

Is Nepal Standard Time different from Indian Standard Time?
Yes. Nepal Standard Time is UTC +5:45, which is 15 minutes ahead of IST.

How many matches will be played at the 2026 World Cup?
A total of 104 matches will be played, the highest number in World Cup history.

Where can fans in Nepal watch the World Cup live?
Fans in Nepal can watch the matches on Prime TV and FIFA+ for highlights.

Will match times change?
Major changes are unlikely, but any official FIFA updates will be reflected in the above schedule.