Football

Since the FIFA World Cup’s humble inception in 1930, when Uruguay only invited 13 teams for the first tournament, it has developed into the most powerful spectacle in global sport. Currently, it is the biggest standalone event on the football calendar, attracting the eyeballs of billions and dictating the flow of summers across the continents. The transformation will not stop here since in 2026 the tournament will feature 48 teams, thus bringing about the most ambitious World Cup arrangement so far.

Over time, the event has been characterized by legendary performers, nail-biting finals, and the turn of events that have rewritten football history. Although Europe and South America have traditionally been the leaders, a present, day World Cup conveys a more diverse narrative. Besides being mere ‘participants,’ teams from Asia, Africa, and North America have become ‘contenders,’ regularly reaching the later stages and thus changing the competitive balance.

For the Middle East, this worldwide change has already been a real and palpable experience. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which the Wall Street Journal describes as “A Rich Gulf State Offers a Grand Show for the World,” was a great achievement for the local football industry, thanks to the excellent facilities put in place. Moreover, it’s likely to open doors for other Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, which has been announced as the World Cup host for 2034 and thus will continue the growing regional prominence within the global football scene.

The 48-team extension in 2026 is the most visible sign of this new world. More nations, more matches, and wider representation facilitate the rise of many thus far less recognized football countries. For the Middle East, type regions, it is a sort of confirmation that the World Cup ceases to be “owned” by a few major powers but becomes truly worldwide in scope and purpose.

Here are some of the recent FIFA World Cup Winners:

Arabia Standard Time (AST) operates at UTC +3 and is used year-round across several Middle Eastern countries. Unlike many regions, AST does not observe daylight saving time, ensuring stable and predictable kick-off times throughout the World Cup.

• Saudi Arabia (uses its own time called Saudi Arabia Standard Time, which is the same as Arabia Standard Time)
• Qatar
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• Yemen
• Iraq

If your local time matches cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Doha, Amman, or Kuwait City, this AST-based schedule applies directly to you.

Saudi Arabia is the most highly experienced World Cup team from the Arabia region. Besides being regular players at FIFA World Cup since 1994, the Green Falcons made it clear that they had matured immediately by achieving the Round of 16 in their very first tournament, which was a historic moment in Asian football. Nowadays, they are best known for their organisation, tactical discipline, and the fact that they always give a good account of themselves even against the teams that are considered better on paper. The truth of that was proved once again in 2022 when they upset eventual champions Argentina, one of the main stories of the tournament. Saudi Arabia, as they prepare for 2026, are determined to use their experience as a stepping stone to being able to advance further than the group stage on a consistent basis.

Qatar are about to enter the tournament from a position that is very different but equally significant. Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, they took on the responsibilities of putting on the biggest event in football for the first time ever in the Arab world. On the pitch, it was not easy, but hosting had a very profound impact on the future of this nation. With investments made in infrastructure and exposure to top, level competition as well as a crystal, clear development pathway, Qatari football has been transformed. Having matured as Asian Cup holders and no longer considered as newcomers to the World Cup scene, Qatar will be in 2026 with more confidence and a well, defined goal which is to convert their regional supremacy into good results on the world stage.

Jordan, on the other hand, are that breakthrough story of the Arab nations. Their qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first time the country has ever been to the tournament and a huge milestone for the national team. Jordan’s rise to the top was a result of tactical discipline, steady growth, and faith that was maintained through regular Asian competition performances. It goes to show the extent of development that has taken place in the region.

Here the encounter is with a larger 48-team format and that means more possibilities for the three teams to compete for a position in the knockout rounds. Saudi Arabia is experienced with several World Cup participations behind their back, Qatar is capitalizing on the legacy of the 2022 tournament, and Jordan is coming off a qualification that has made history.

For viewers in Arabia Standard Time, most matches will kick off between the late evening and early morning hours. Group-stage fixtures often extend past midnight, while knockout matches typically fall into more comfortable late-night slots.

The opening match between Mexico and South Africa begins on 11 June 2026 at 10:00 PM (AST), while the final will be played on 19 July 2026 at 10:00 PM (AST).

Filter by: Select Category Team Venue Stage Reset

Date	Time	Team 1 Score Team 2
11 June, 2026 (Thursday)	10:00 PM (AST)	Mexico vs South Africa Mexico City Match No. 1 Group A
12 June, 2026 (Friday)	5:00 AM (AST)	South Korea vs Czechia Guadalajara Match No. 2 Group A
	10:00 PM (AST)	Canada vs Bosnia Toronto Match No. 3 Group B
13 June, 2026 (Saturday)	4:00 AM (AST)	USA vs Paraguay Los Angeles Match No. 4 Group D
	10:00 PM (AST)	Qatar vs Switzerland SF Bay Area Match No. 8 Group B
14 June, 2026 (Sunday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Brazil vs Morocco New York Match No. 7 Group C
	4:00 AM (AST)	Haiti vs Scotland Boston Match No. 5 Group C
	7:00 AM (AST)	Australia vs Turkey Vancouver Match No. 6 Group D
	8:00 PM (AST)	Germany vs Curaçao Houston Match No. 10 Group E
	11:00 PM (AST)	Netherlands vs Japan Dallas Match No. 11 Group F
15 June, 2026 (Monday)	2:00 AM (AST)	Ivory Coast vs Ecuador Philadelphia Match No. 9 Group E
	5:00 AM (AST)	Sweden vs Tunisia Monterrey Match No. 12 Group F
	7:00 PM (AST)	Spain vs Cape Verde Atlanta Match No. 14 Group H
	10:00 PM (AST)	Belgium vs Egypt Seattle Match No. 16 Group G
16 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay Miami Match No. 13 Group H
	4:00 AM (AST)	Iran vs New Zealand Los Angeles Match No. 15 Group G
	10:00 PM (AST)	France vs Senegal New York Match No. 17 Group I
17 June, 2026 (Wednesday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Iraq vs Norway Boston Match No. 18 Group I
	4:00 AM (AST)	Argentina vs Algeria Kansas City Match No. 19 Group J
	7:00 AM (AST)	Austria vs Jordan SF Bay Area Match No. 20 Group J
	8:00 PM (AST)	Portugal vs DR Congo Houston Match No. 23 Group K
	11:00 PM (AST)	England vs Croatia Dallas Match No. 22 Group L
18 June, 2026 (Thursday)	2:00 AM (AST)	Ghana vs Panama Toronto Match No. 21 Group L
	5:00 AM (AST)	Uzbekistan vs Colombia Mexico City Match No. 24 Group K
	7:00 PM (AST)	Czechia vs South Africa Atlanta Match No. 25 Group A
	10:00 PM (AST)	Switzerland vs Bosnia Los Angeles Match No. 26 Group B
19 June, 2026 (Friday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Canada vs Qatar Vancouver Match No. 27 Group B
	4:00 AM (AST)	Mexico vs South Korea Guadalajara Match No. 28 Group A
	10:00 PM (AST)	USA vs Australia Seattle Match No. 32 Group D
20 June, 2026 (Saturday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Scotland vs Morocco Boston Match No. 30 Group C
	4:00 AM (AST)	Brazil vs Haiti Philadelphia Match No. 29 Group C
	7:00 AM (AST)	Turkey vs Paraguay SF Bay Area Match No. 31 Group D
	8:00 PM (AST)	Netherlands vs Sweden Houston Match No. 35 Group F
	11:00 PM (AST)	Germany vs Ivory Coast Toronto Match No. 33 Group E
21 June, 2026 (Sunday)	3:00 AM (AST)	Ecuador vs Curaçao Kansas City Match No. 34 Group E
	7:00 AM (AST)	Tunisia vs Japan Monterrey Match No. 36 Group F
	7:00 PM (AST)	Spain vs Saudi Arabia Atlanta Match No. 38 Group H
	10:00 PM (AST)	Belgium vs Iran Los Angeles Match No. 39 Group G
22 June, 2026 (Monday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Uruguay vs Cape Verde Miami Match No. 37 Group H
	4:00 AM (AST)	New Zealand vs Egypt Vancouver Match No. 40 Group G
	8:00 PM (AST)	Argentina vs Austria Dallas Match No. 43 Group J
23 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	12:00 AM (AST)	France vs Iraq Philadelphia Match No. 42 Group I
	3:00 AM (AST)	Norway vs Senegal New York Match No. 41 Group I
	6:00 AM (AST)	Jordan vs Algeria SF Bay Area Match No. 44 Group J
	8:00 PM (AST)	Portugal vs Uzbekistan Houston Match No. 47 Group K
	11:00 PM (AST)	England vs Ghana Boston Match No. 45 Group L
24 June, 2026 (Wednesday)	2:00 AM (AST)	Panama vs Croatia Toronto Match No. 46 Group L
	5:00 AM (AST)	Colombia vs DR Congo Guadalajara Match No. 48 Group K
	10:00 PM (AST)	Switzerland vs Canada Vancouver Match No. 51 Group B
	10:00 PM (AST)	Bosnia vs Qatar Seattle Match No. 52 Group B
25 June, 2026 (Thursday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Scotland vs Brazil Miami Match No. 49 Group C
	1:00 AM (AST)	Morocco vs Haiti Atlanta Match No. 50 Group C
	4:00 AM (AST)	Czechia vs Mexico Mexico City Match No. 53 Group A
	4:00 AM (AST)	South Africa vs South Korea Monterrey Match No. 54 Group A
	11:00 PM (AST)	Curaçao vs Ivory Coast Philadelphia Match No. 55 Group E
	11:00 PM (AST)	Ecuador vs Germany New York Match No. 56 Group E
26 June, 2026 (Friday)	2:00 AM (AST)	Japan vs Sweden Dallas Match No. 57 Group F
	2:00 AM (AST)	Tunisia vs Netherlands Kansas City Match No. 58 Group F
	5:00 AM (AST)	Turkey vs USA Los Angeles Match No. 59 Group D
	5:00 AM (AST)	Paraguay vs Australia SF Bay Area Match No. 60 Group D
	10:00 PM (AST)	Norway vs France Boston Match No. 61 Group I
	10:00 PM (AST)	Senegal vs Iraq Toronto Match No. 62 Group I
27 June, 2026 (Saturday)	3:00 AM (AST)	Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia Houston Match No. 65 Group H
	3:00 AM (AST)	Uruguay vs Spain Guadalajara Match No. 66 Group H
	6:00 AM (AST)	Egypt vs Iran Seattle Match No. 63 Group G
	6:00 AM (AST)	New Zealand vs Belgium Vancouver Match No. 64 Group G
28 June, 2026 (Sunday)	12:00 AM (AST)	Panama vs England New York Match No. 67 Group L
	12:00 AM (AST)	Croatia vs Ghana Philadelphia Match No. 68 Group L
	2:30 AM (AST)	Colombia vs Portugal Miami Match No. 71 Group K
	2:30 AM (AST)	DR Congo vs Uzbekistan Atlanta Match No. 72 Group K
	5:00 AM (AST)	Algeria vs Austria Kansas City Match No. 69 Group J
	5:00 AM (AST)	Jordan vs Argentina Dallas Match No. 70 Group J
	10:00 PM (AST)	Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B Los Angeles Match No. 73 Round of 32
29 June, 2026 (Monday)	8:00 PM (AST)	Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group F Houston Match No. 76 Round of 32
	11:30 PM (AST)	Winner Group E vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D/F Boston Match No. 74 Round of 32
30 June, 2026 (Tuesday)	4:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group C Monterrey Match No. 75 Round of 32
	8:00 PM (AST)	Runner-up Group E vs Runner-up Group I Dallas Match No. 78 Round of 32
1 July, 2026 (Wednesday)	12:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group I vs 3rd Group C/D/F/G/H New York Match No. 77 Round of 32
	4:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group A vs 3rd Group C/E/F/H/I Mexico City Match No. 79 Round of 32
	7:00 PM (AST)	Winner Group L vs 3rd Group E/H/I/J/K Atlanta Match No. 80 Round of 32
	11:00 PM (AST)	Winner Group G vs 3rd Group A/E/H/I/J Seattle Match No. 82 Round of 32
2 July, 2026 (Thursday)	3:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group D vs 3rd Group B/E/F/I/J SF Bay Area Match No. 81 Round of 32
	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J Los Angeles Match No. 84 Round of 32
3 July, 2026 (Friday)	2:00 AM (AST)	Runner-up Group K vs Runner-up Group L Toronto Match No. 83 Round of 32
	6:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group B vs 3rd Group E/F/G/I/J Vancouver Match No. 85 Round of 32
	9:00 PM (AST)	Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group G Dallas Match No. 88 Round of 32
4 July, 2026 (Saturday)	1:00 AM (AST)	Winner Group J vs Runner-up Group H Miami Match No. 86 Round of 32
	4:30 AM (AST)	Winner Group K vs 3rd Group D/E/I/J/L Kansas City Match No. 87 Round of 32
	8:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75 Houston Match No. 90 Round of 16
5 July, 2026 (Sunday)	12:00 AM (AST)	Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77 Philadelphia Match No. 89 Round of 16
	11:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78 New York Match No. 91 Round of 16
6 July, 2026 (Monday)	3:00 AM (AST)	Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80 Mexico City Match No. 92 Round of 16
	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84 Dallas Match No. 93 Round of 16
7 July, 2026 (Tuesday)	3:00 AM (AST)	Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82 Seattle Match No. 94 Round of 16
	7:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88 Atlanta Match No. 95 Round of 16
	11:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87 Vancouver Match No. 96 Round of 16
9 July, 2026 (Thursday)	11:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90 Boston Match No. 97 Quarterfinals
10 July, 2026 (Friday)	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 Los Angeles Match No. 98 Quarterfinals
12 July, 2026 (Sunday)	12:00 AM (AST)	Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92 Miami Match No. 99 Quarterfinals
	4:00 AM (AST)	Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96 Kansas City Match No. 100 Quarterfinals
14 July, 2026 (Tuesday)	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98 Dallas Match No. 101 Semifinals
15 July, 2026 (Wednesday)	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100 Atlanta Match No. 102 Semifinals
19 July, 2026 (Sunday)	12:00 AM (AST)	Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102 Miami Match No. 103 Third place
	10:00 PM (AST)	Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102 New York Match No. 104 Final