World Cup Finals Fixtures

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to commence on Thursday 11 June as co-hosts Mexico face South Africa in Mexico City in Group A.

There will be 103 games played in total before the final, and this article aims to tell all you need to know about the World Cup finals fixtures.

Also, feel free to check out our dedicated Best World Cup betting tips & strategies page as we edge closer to the start of the tournament.

FIFA World Cup trophy — Who will lift the World Cup trophy? – Photo by Abaca / Icon Sport

Contents

1 World Cup Finals Fixtures
2 Most memorable World Cup Finals in history
3 Who is the favourite to win the World Cup?

World Cup Finals Fixtures

The third-place play-off and final will take place between Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July, with the details outlined below:

Saturday 18 July

Match 103 – Runner-up match 101 v Runner-up match 102 – Miami Stadium

Sunday 19 July

Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 – New York New Jersey Stadium

Most memorable World Cup Finals in history

While every World Cup final is special and unique, some of them simply transcend the others in excitement and quality of football. With that in mind, we selected three of our favourite finals from the World Cup history for you:

Uruguay vs Brazil – World Cup 1950 in Brazil

The stage was set for Brazil's first World Cup win in history – the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro was packed with more than 170,000 people, all eager to celebrate along with their team as they lift the trophy intended for the champions of the world. In fact, due to the structure of the World Cup that year, Brazil only needed a draw to become the champion.

However, all the spectators and Brazil players experienced was huge disappointment instead of immense joy. Brazil did take the lead early in the second half, but goals by Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia silenced Maracana and brought Uruguay their second World Cup title, the last one to date.

West Germany vs Hungary – World Cup 1954 in Switzerland

Just four years after Maracanazzo, we witnessed another amazing final and, once again, the favourites suffered the same faith. The Mighty Magyars of Hungary were seen as the comfortable champions, the best team without competition at that point in time. According to expectations, Hungary trashed everyone on their way to the final game, including West Germany, who they beat 8-3 in group stages.

But the old saying that it's not easy to beat the same team twice in a tournament proved right in this instance. Even though the Mighty Magyars took a 2-0 lead after ten minutes through Puskas and Czibor and looked to be on their way to the crown, the Germans did not give up. In what will always be remembered as the Miracle of Bern, West Germany quickly got back into the game and the teams were tied at half time. In the 84th minute, Helmut Rahn scored his second goal of the game to win the Germans their first World Cup title in history.

England vs West Germany – World Cup 1966 in England

The birthplace of football got the chance to host the World Cup in 1966 and the expectations for England were high ahead of the tournament as this was seen as the perfect opportunity for the team to win their first World Cup title ever. Finally, the stage was set after England reached the final, where they would meet West Germany.

Nearly 100,000 packed Wembley to witness this game and they indeed witnessed history. West Germany took an early lead, England punched back quickly and the teams were tied at half time. Then, Peters brought England close to lifting the trophy, but Weber scored an equaliser a few minutes before the end to send the game to overtime. Despite that, the English dominated the overtime and Geoffrey Hurst added two more goals to achieve a hat-trick in the game and bring England their first and still the only World Cup title.

Who is the favourite to win the World Cup?

At the time of writing, the favourite to win the World Cup is Spain (5/1). Although recently overtaken by France as the number-one ranked nation in the official FIFA World Rankings, expectations will still be on La Roja to lift the trophy.

They have only ever won the World Cup once, with Andres Iniesta scoring the winning goal in injury time against the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010, but have gained pedigree from other recent tournaments. Indeed, Spain won the most recent European Championships in 2024, and the UEFA Nations League in 2025.

Boasting superstar talents like Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, with the latter among the favourites to win the Golden Boot, La Roja can really make their mark this summer. Their tiki-taka playing style could end up tiring teams out as they keep the ball in what could be extortionate weather conditions, alongside the desire for the new generation to win a first World Cup in 16 years.