With 48 teams, 104 matches, and 16 host cities spread across the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially the largest football competition in history. For football fans in Nepal, catching every thrilling moment live requires navigating significant time zone differences.
To ensure you never miss a match, we have compiled the ultimate FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule translated directly into Nepal Time (NPT). This comprehensive guide covers everything from the opening group stage fixtures and participating groups to the unique stadium rules and final showdown.
🏆 FIFA World Cup 2026 Overview (Quick Facts)
Before diving into the daily schedule, here are the essential details for the 2026 tournament:
- Start Date: June 11, 2026 (Local Time) / June 12, 2026 (Nepal Time) Al Jazeera
- Final Match: July 19, 2026
- Host Countries: USA, Canada, Mexico
- Total Teams: 48 Nations
- Total Matches: 104 Games
- New Format: 12 groups of four teams, with the introduction of a new “Round of 32”.
🌍 Participating Teams & Group Breakdown
Following the final draw in Washington DC, the 48 participating nations were divided into 12 distinct groups (Groups A through L). This year’s expanded format also welcomes four nations making their historic World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan.
Here is how the groups stack up for the opening stage:
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
- Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
📅 Full Group Stage Schedule in Nepal Time (NPT)
Because the tournament is hosted in North America, matches will primarily air in Nepal during the late night and early morning hours. Below is the complete schedule for the opening rounds, featuring both English and Nepali dates for your convenience.
(Note: Depending on final FIFA broadcast updates, match timings may change slightly.)
| Match Fixture | Date (Gregorian & Nepali) | Kickoff Time (NPT) |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico vs South Africa (FT: 2-0) | June 12, 2026 (Jestha 29, Fri) | 12:45 AM |
| South Korea vs Czechia (FT: 2-1) | June 12, 2026 (Jestha 29, Fri) | 07:45 AM |
| Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | June 13, 2026 (Jestha 30, Sat) | 12:45 AM |
| USA vs Paraguay | June 13, 2026 (Jestha 30, Sat) | 06:45 PM |
| Qatar vs Switzerland | June 14, 2026 (Jestha 31, Sun) | 12:45 AM |
| Brazil vs Morocco | June 14, 2026 (Jestha 31, Sun) | 03:45 AM |
| Haiti vs Scotland | June 14, 2026 (Jestha 31, Sun) | 06:45 AM |
| Australia vs Türkiye | June 14, 2026 (Jestha 31, Sun) | 09:45 AM |
| Netherlands vs Japan | June 15, 2026 (Asar 1, Mon) | 01:45 AM |
| Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador | June 15, 2026 (Asar 1, Mon) | 04:45 AM |
| Tunisia vs Sweden | June 15, 2026 (Asar 1, Mon) | 07:45 AM |
| Spain vs Cape Verde | June 15, 2026 (Asar 1, Mon) | 09:45 PM |
| Belgium vs Egypt | June 16, 2026 (Asar 2, Tue) | 12:45 AM |
| Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | June 16, 2026 (Asar 2, Tue) | 03:45 AM |
| Iran vs New Zealand | June 16, 2026 (Asar 2, Tue) | 06:45 AM |
| France vs Senegal | June 17, 2026 (Asar 3, Wed) | 12:45 AM |
| Iraq vs Norway | June 17, 2026 (Asar 3, Wed) | 03:45 AM |
| Argentina vs Algeria | June 17, 2026 (Asar 3, Wed) | 06:45 AM |
| Austria vs Jordan | June 17, 2026 (Asar 3, Wed) | 09:45 AM |
| Portugal vs DR Congo | June 17, 2026 (Asar 3, Wed) | 10:45 PM |
| England vs Croatia | June 18, 2026 (Asar 4, Thu) | 01:45 AM |
| Ghana vs Panama | June 18, 2026 (Asar 4, Thu) | 04:45 AM |
| Uzbekistan vs Colombia | June 18, 2026 (Asar 4, Thu) | 07:45 AM |
| Czechia vs South Africa | June 18, 2026 (Asar 4, Thu) | 09:45 PM |
| Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | June 19, 2026 (Asar 5, Fri) | 12:45 AM |
| Canada vs Qatar | June 19, 2026 (Asar 5, Fri) | 03:45 AM |
| Mexico vs Korea Republic | June 19, 2026 (Asar 5, Fri) | 06:45 AM |
| USA vs Australia | June 20, 2026 (Asar 6, Sat) | 12:45 AM |
| Scotland vs Morocco | June 20, 2026 (Asar 6, Sat) | 03:45 AM |
| Brazil vs Haiti | June 20, 2026 (Asar 6, Sat) | 06:15 AM |
| Turkey vs Paraguay | June 20, 2026 (Asar 6, Sat) | 08:45 AM |
| Netherlands vs Sweden | June 20, 2026 (Asar 6, Sat) | 10:45 PM |
| Germany vs Cote d’Ivoire | June 21, 2026 (Asar 7, Sun) | 01:45 AM |
| Ecuador vs Curacao | June 21, 2026 (Asar 7, Sun) | 05:45 AM |
| Tunisia vs Japan | June 21, 2026 (Asar 7, Sun) | 09:45 AM |
| Spain vs Saudi Arabia | June 21, 2026 (Asar 7, Sun) | 09:45 PM |
| Belgium vs Iran | June 22, 2026 (Asar 8, Mon) | 12:45 AM |
| Uruguay vs Cabo Verde | June 22, 2026 (Asar 8, Mon) | 03:45 AM |
| New Zealand vs Egypt | June 22, 2026 (Asar 8, Mon) | 06:45 AM |
| Argentina vs Austria | June 22, 2026 (Asar 8, Mon) | 10:45 PM |
⚽ Knockout Stage Schedule (Expected Nepal Time)
Once the intense group stage battles conclude, the top two teams from each group—along with the eight best third-placed teams—will advance to the next round. The knockout timeline is as follows:
FIFA
- Round of 32: June 28 – July 3, 2026 Al Jazeera
- Round of 16: July 4 – July 7, 2026
- Quarter-Finals: July 9 – July 11, 2026
- Semi-Finals: July 14 – July 15, 2026
- Third Place Match: July 18, 2026
- World Cup Final: July 19, 2026 (Evening/Night in NPT)
🏟️ Host Cities & FIFA “Clean Stadium” Names
To accommodate the expanded tournament, 16 cities across North America are hosting matches. You may notice that famous stadiums look different on the official schedule. This is due to FIFA’s “clean stadium” rules, which require venues to drop commercial naming-rights titles in favor of neutral, geographic names during the tournament to prevent conflicts with official FIFA partners.
Here are the host cities and their official tournament stadium names:
| Host Country | Host City | Official Tournament Name | Normal Venue Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | Mexico City | Mexico City Stadium | Estadio Azteca |
| USA | East Rutherford | New York New Jersey Stadium | MetLife Stadium |
| USA | Arlington | Dallas Stadium | AT&T Stadium |
| USA | Inglewood | Los Angeles Stadium | SoFi Stadium |
| USA | Kansas City | Kansas City Stadium | Arrowhead Stadium |
| USA | Santa Clara | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium | Levi’s Stadium |
| USA | Houston | Houston Stadium | NRG Stadium |
| USA | Atlanta | Atlanta Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| USA | Seattle | Seattle Stadium | Lumen Field |
| USA | Foxborough | Boston Stadium | Gillette Stadium |
| Canada | Vancouver | BC Place Vancouver | BC Place |
| Canada | Toronto | Toronto Stadium | BMO Field |
📺 Broadcasting: How to Watch the Matches
FIFA has established media partnerships in over 220 territories worldwide, ensuring that the 2026 World Cup will reach fans on an unprecedented scale. In the host markets, networks like Fox Sports, Telemundo, CTV/TSN/RDS, and Televisa will deliver comprehensive coverage directly from the stadiums. While official local broadcasting channels in Nepal are finalized closer to the tournament, fans can expect massive digital and television coverage, including mobile filming solutions and engaging digital platforms.
Bookmark this page to stay updated on the latest match timings and World Cup results as the tournament progresses!
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