📌 Quick Navigation

• 🎤 Opening Match & Final (Key Dates)
• 🇺🇸 United States Time (Eastern Time ET / Local Times)
• 🇨🇳 Beijing Time (UTC+8)
• 📅 Match Calendar (Tournament Timeline)

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🎤 2026 World Cup · Opening Match & Final Times

🏟️ Opening Match

• Match: 🇲🇽 Mexico vs 🇿🇦 South Africa
• Venue: Mexico City · Estadio Azteca
• US Local Time (Eastern Time ET): June 11, 2026 · 6:00 PM
• Beijing Time (UTC+8): June 12, 2026 · 07:00 AM
• Other North American time zones: Central Time CT 5:00 PM / Mountain Time MT 4:00 PM / Pacific Time PT 3:00 PM

🏆 Final

• Venue: New York/New Jersey · MetLife Stadium
• US Local Time (Eastern Time ET): July 19, 2026 · 7:00 PM
• Beijing Time (UTC+8): July 20, 2026 · 07:00 AM
• Other North American time zones: Central Time CT 6:00 PM / Mountain Time MT 5:00 PM / Pacific Time PT 4:00 PM

🇺🇸 United States Time Reference (Local Time for USA/Canada/Mexico)

The 2026 World Cup is hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, spanning multiple time zones. Below is the breakdown of key time zones:

• Eastern Time (ET / EDT, UTC-4): Used in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and other East Coast cities. The final and most high-profile knockout matches use ET as the reference.
• Central Time (CT / CDT, UTC-5): Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, etc. The opening match kicks off at 5:00 PM CT.
• Mountain Time (MT / MDT, UTC-6): Denver, Salt Lake City, etc.
• Pacific Time (PT / PDT, UTC-7): Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and West Coast cities.
• Canada Time Zones: Vancouver (Pacific Time), Toronto (Eastern Time).
• Mexico Time Zones: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey observe Central Time (similar to US CT during summer).

✅ For the convenience of global audiences, official schedules commonly use Eastern Time (ET) as the standard reference.

🇨🇳 Beijing Time (UTC+8) · Key Match Kickoffs

Beijing is 12 to 15 hours ahead of North American time zones. Most matches will take place in the early morning, mid-morning, and late night (Beijing time). Important match times (Beijing Time):

• Group stage kickoff range (Beijing Time): 00:00 / 03:00 / 06:00 / 09:00 / 22:00 (varies by fixture).
• Opening Match (Beijing Time): June 12, 2026 · 07:00 AM
• Final (Beijing Time): July 20, 2026 · 07:00 AM
• Semi-finals (Beijing Time): Expected around 02:00 – 03:00 AM.
• Third-place match (Beijing Time): July 18, 2026 · 10:00 PM (based on 4:00 PM ET).

📌 Note: Exact kickoff times for knockout matches will be announced closer to the tournament. Always refer to FIFA’s official schedule.

📅 2026 World Cup Match Calendar · Phase Timeline (US local dates / Beijing dates)

• 🗓️ Group Stage:
  • US Local Dates: June 11 – June 27, 2026
  • Beijing Dates: June 12 – June 28, 2026
  • 48 matches across multiple daily windows.
• 🗓️ Round of 32 (Last 32):
  • US Local Dates: June 30 – July 3, 2026
  • Beijing Dates: July 1 – July 4, 2026
• 🗓️ Round of 16:
  • US Local Dates: July 6 – July 9, 2026
  • Beijing Dates: July 7 – July 10, 2026
• 🗓️ Quarter-finals:
  • US Local Dates: July 11 – July 12, 2026
  • Beijing Dates: July 12 – July 13, 2026
• 🗓️ Semi-finals:
  • US Local Dates: July 14 – July 15, 2026
  • Beijing Dates: July 15 – July 16, 2026 (early morning hours)
• 🗓️ Third-place match:
  • US Local: July 18, 2026 · 4:00 PM (ET)
  • Beijing Time: July 18, 2026 · 10:00 PM
• 🗓️ Final:
  • US Local: July 19, 2026 · 7:00 PM (ET)
  • Beijing Time: July 20, 2026 · 07:00 AM

※ The match calendar is based on the published schedule framework. A few kickoff times may be subject to minor adjustments; always verify with FIFA’s official match schedule.

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Summary: The opening match features Mexico vs South Africa (Mexico City), while the final takes place at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Eastern Time (ET) is exactly 12 hours behind Beijing Time (ET daytime corresponds to early next morning/late night in Beijing). Use the navigation above to quickly jump to each time section.