FIFA has officially confirmed the highly anticipated scheduling details for the 2026 World Cup, announcing that the championship final will commence at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This strategic timing ensures optimal prime-time television viewership across Europe, where the match will air at 9 p.m. Central European Time and 8 p.m. in the United Kingdom.
The scheduling announcement, made public this past Saturday, follows closely on the heels of the tournament’s official draw. It provides a comprehensive overview of start times for all 104 matches in the expanded 48-nation competition. Historical weather data from AccuWeather indicates that the chosen date and time present a significant climatic consideration, with a 30-year average temperature of 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius) and a RealFeel index of 89 (32) for that specific location and time of year.
This scheduling aligns with a long-standing tradition for World Cup finals. An analysis of the last ten tournaments reveals that nine finals, from 1978 through 2014, were held within the 2-3:30 p.m. EDT window. The notable exception was the 2002 final in Japan, which started at 7 a.m. EDT. More recent finals have seen varied times, with the 2018 match in Russia beginning at 11 a.m. EDT and the 2022 winter tournament in Qatar’s final kicking off at 10 a.m. EST.
The tournament opener is scheduled for June 11th at Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium, where host nation Mexico (El Tri) will face South Africa in a 1 p.m. local time (3 p.m. EDT) match. The semifinal matches will be held on July 14th and 15th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, respectively. Both venues feature retractable roofs, mitigating potential weather concerns with start times of 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. local time.
The United States will host the majority of the tournament with 78 games, including all matches from the quarterfinal stage onward. Canada and Mexico will each host 13 matches. The U.S. men’s national team’s group stage schedule was also finalized, featuring evening matches against Paraguay in Inglewood and a potential European opponent at SoFi Stadium, with a midday match against Australia in Seattle.