World Cup matchups: Start times for every match

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to start Thursday with Mexico dealing with South Africa in Mexico City and South Korea taking on Czechia in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The event then heads north on Friday, with Canada dealing with Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto before the United States opens Group D play against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Here’s every part you need to know about the matches through the opening days of the 39-day, 48-team event across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s matchups (all times Pacific):

Mexico vs. South Africa

Mexico’s Raúl Jiménez, left, celebrates after scoring during an worldwide pleasant against Serbia on June 4.

(Agustin Cuevas / Getty Images)

Where: Azteca Stadium | Mexico City

Time: Noon

TV | Streaming: Fox, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Although the World Cup will probably be shared by three international locations for the first time, Mexico will get the dignity of taking part in the opening sport. No nation has performed host to more World Cups than Mexico, which also staged the event in 1970 and 1986. Both times the first sport was performed in the enduring Azteca Stadium, where the World Cup kicks off again. The first two times the World Cup was performed in Mexico, the home crew made the quarterfinals and El Tri, taking part in under coach Javier Aguirre, a midfielder on the 1986 crew, appears poised for another long run. Mexico is unbeaten in eight video games this 12 months, including wins over World Cup qualifiers Panama, Ghana and Australia and attracts with Belgium and Portugal. Mexico has given up just one objective in the past eight months. South Africa, which performed Mexico to a draw in the opening sport of the 2010 World Cup, is winless in 2026.

South Korea vs. Czechia

South Korea’s Son Heung-min controls the ball in entrance of El Salvador’s Brayan Landaverde during an worldwide pleasant match on June 3.

(Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)

Where: Estadio Akron | Guadalajara, Mexico

Time: 7 p.m.

TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: South Korea is one of 5 international locations to have performed in the past 11 World Cups — and it’s the only one of the 5 never to have gained the event. And the only two times South Korea performed in a North American World Cup, in 1986 and 1994, it failed to win a sport. Still, with an offense led by LAFC’s Son Heung-min, the MLS chief in assists, and a protection anchored by Bayern Munich heart back Kim Min-jae (aka The Monster), the Taegeuk Warriors are a formidable foe. Czechia, taking part in in the World Cup for just the second time as an unbiased nation, has been unimpressive in its event warm-ups; its last win over a World Cup qualifier was a 2-1 win over Norway 27 months in the past.

Here’s a look at Friday’s matchups:

Canada vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia’s Edin Dzeko heads the ball during a World Cup qualifying match against Italy on March 31.

(Armin Durgut / Associated Press)

Where: BMO Field | Toronto

Time: Noon

TV | Streaming: Fox, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Alphonso Davies has been ruled out of Canada’s World Cup opener in the hope that he will probably be obtainable for the remaining of the event. And his absence will probably be felt since Davies, sidelined since May 6 with a hamstring injury, isn’t only the crew’s best participant but also its captain. The accidents are piling up for Canada, which misplaced heart back Moïse Bombito and ahead Marcelo Flores to accidents after the World Cup roster had been decided. Under American coach Jesse Marsch, the crew entered the top 30 in the FIFA world rankings for the first time, shedding just 5 times in 29 matches, but still wanting for its first victory in a World Cup match.

Bosnia, taking part in in the World Cup for the second time since gaining independence, is led by 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, the nation’s all-time chief in caps and objectives. It certified for the World Cup by drawing Wales, then Italy, and beating both on penalty kicks in a pair of UEFA playoffs in March.

United States vs. Paraguay

U.S. ahead Christian Pulisic controls the ball in entrance of Senegal’s Krepin Diatta during an worldwide pleasant on May 31.

(Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Where: SoFi Stadium | Inglewood
Time: 6 p.m.
TV | Streaming: Fox, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: With a objective and an help in the Americans’ penultimate warm-up with Senegal, Christian Pulisic broke out of a career-long scoring drought and proved himself prepared for the World Cup. But he’ll need help from his supporting solid if the U.S. is to get out of group play and this sport may very well be key to that objective. Paraguay’s schedule over the past 12 months featured a number of video games with World Cup qualifiers, including wins over Mexico and Uruguay, attracts with Japan and Ecuador and one-score losses to Brazil, Morocco and the U.S. Its main scorer is midfielder Miguel Almirón, who performs in MLS with Atlanta United.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s matchups:

Qatar vs. Switzerland

Qatar’s Akram Afif performs during an worldwide pleasant against El Salvador on June 6.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Time: midday
TV | Streaming: Fox, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Qatar made its World Cup debut 4 years in the past and turned the first host to exit the event without a level, shedding all three group-play video games by two objectives each. The crew has improved dramatically since then, beating Mexico to attain the quarterfinals of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. But its World Cup preparations had been disrupted by conflict in the Middle East, which compelled the cancellation of scheduled friendlies with Serbia and Argentina. As a outcome, the crew has performed just twice in the last seven months and hasn’t scored a objective since last December.

Switzerland, meanwhile, is ranked in the top 20 in the world by FIFA, has misplaced just twice — to No. 2 Spain and No. 10 Germany — in its past 17 tries and made the quarterfinals of the past two Euros.

Brazil vs. Morocco

Brazil’s Casemiro, proper, celebrates with teammate Vinicius Junior after scoring against Panama during an worldwide pleasant match on May 31.

(Bruna Prado / Associated Press)

Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Time: 3 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Group C will get off to a compelling start with sixth-ranked Brazil, the event’s only five-time champion, dealing with No. 7 Morocco, the shock crew of 2022. And both come in sizzling: Morocco has misplaced just one of its past 45 video games, courting to January 2024, while Brazil has crushed World Cup qualifiers Egypt, Panama, Croatia, Senegal, South Korea, Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico over the past 24 months.

Barring a major stumble, both will make it out of group play but this sport will probably decide which can go through as a group champion, giving it a a lot simpler path through the knockout rounds.

Haiti vs. Scotland

Haiti’s Frantzdy Pierrot controls the ball in entrance of Tunisia’s Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida during an worldwide pleasant on March 28.

(Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 6 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Though missing the sizzle of Brazil-Morocco, Group C’s other first-day matchup is no less important. With eight third-place groups advancing out of group play, a win right here would give either Scotland or Haiti a strong shot at going through while a draw may doom both.

Haiti, collaborating in the World Cup for just the second time — and the first time since 1974 — hasn’t performed at home in 5 years because of violence and instability in Haiti. But it thumped New Zealand 4-0 in one of its closing World Cup tuneups and misplaced to three other World Cup qualifiers — the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Tunisia — by just a objective in the past 12 months. All but three of the gamers on Haiti’s roster play for first- or second-division groups in Europe or the U.S.

Scotland had an simpler time in qualifying and gained its past two World Cup tuneups, beating Curacao and Bolivia by a mixed rating of 8-1. Its top participant is Liverpool defender Andy Robertson but its oldest is goalkeeper Craig Gordon, at 43 the most senior participant in the event.

Australia vs. Turkey

Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan warms up before an worldwide pleasant match against Mexico at the Rose Bowl on May 30.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

Where: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Time: 9 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock

The buzz: Turkey may very well be one of the shock groups in the event after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Romania and Kosovo. Turkey has risen 5 spots, to No. 22, in the FIFA world rankings in the past ninth months, its best displaying in a decade. And in the last 12 months it has crushed the U.S. and tied No. 2 Spain. Its best participant is Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, Turkey’s energetic chief in caps and objectives.

Australia had its best-ever World Cup 4 years in the past in Qatar, profitable twice and advancing to the spherical of 16 for the first time since 2006. But it has struggled of late, shedding 4 of its past six video games to fellow World Cup qualifiers.