World Cup: Groups, dates and kick-off times for Brazil’s matches

The 2026 World Cup brings a host of firsts: the first edition in history to be hosted across three countries, and the first to feature 48 nations. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, with the knockout stage spanning five rounds.

Here is your complete guide to the 2026 World Cup, including the calendar, format, Brazil's fixtures, and more.

Dates	June 11 to July 19, 2026 (39 days)
Host countries	United States, Mexico and Canada
Number of groups	12 groups of four nations
Brazil's group	Group C — with Morocco, Scotland and Haiti
Brazil's opener	June 13 at 11pm BST — Brazil vs. Morocco
Qualification	June 13 at 11 pm BST — Brazil vs. Morocco
Total matches	104
Total nations	48

Brazil's leading sportsbooks will offer full markets on the 2026 World Cup, including match-by-match and outright bets. Take advantage of the latest World Cup betting offers before placing your bet.

What are the groups for the 2026 World Cup?

The World Cup draw on December 5 confirmed the make-up of the 12 groups. Brazil were among the top seeds, alongside Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, and England, as well as host nations the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

1. GROUP A: Mexico, South Korea, Czech Republic, South Africa — opener: Mexico vs. South Korea
2. GROUP B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Bosnia — opener: Canada vs. Switzerland
3. GROUP C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti — opener: Brazil vs. Morocco
4. GROUP D: United States, Paraguay, Turkey, Australia — opener: USA vs. Australia
5. GROUP E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curaçao — opener: Germany vs. Ecuador
6. GROUP F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia — opener: Netherlands vs. Japan
7. GROUP G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand — opener: Belgium vs. Iran
8. GROUP H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde — opener: Spain vs. Uruguay
9. GROUP I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq — opener: France vs. Senegal
10. GROUP J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan — opener: Argentina vs. Austria
11. GROUP K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, DR Congo — opener: Portugal vs. Colombia
12. GROUP L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama — opener: England vs. Croatia

Here’s how every nation lines up in their 2026 World Cup group:

Group A

1. Mexico
2. South Korea
3. South Africa
4. Czech Republic

Group B

1. Canada
2. Switzerland
3. Qatar
4. Bosnia

Group C

1. Brazil
2. Morocco
3. Scotland
4. Haiti

Group D

1. United States
2. Australia
3. Paraguay
4. Turkey

Group E

1. Germany
2. Ecuador
3. Ivory Coast
4. Curaçao

Group F

1. Netherlands
2. Japan
3. Tunisia
4. Sweden

Group G

1. Belgium
2. Iran
3. Egypt
4. New Zealand

Group H

1. Spain
2. Uruguay
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Cape Verde

Group I

1. France
2. Senegal
3. Norway
4. Iraq

Group J

1. Argentina
2. Austria
3. Algeria
4. Jordan

Group K

1. Portugal
2. Colombia
3. Uzbekistan
4. DR Congo

Group L

1. England
2. Croatia
3. Panama
4. Ghana

Brazil at the 2026 World Cup

Brazil travel to the 2026 World Cup chasing a long-awaited sixth title and aiming to end a 24-year wait to lift the trophy.

To achieve that, they will need to come through Group C and then five knockout rounds. Here’s a look at Brazil’s potential path:

When does Brazil play at the 2026 World Cup?

With the draw complete, Brazil’s 2026 World Cup schedule is as follows:

Brazil's opener	June 13 (Sat), 11 pm BST	Morocco
Brazil's second match	June 20 (Sat), 1:30 am BST	Haiti
Brazil's third match	June 24 (Wed), 11pm BST	Scotland

Kick-off times are varied throughout the group stage, with some matches played simultaneously during decisive rounds.

If Brazil qualify as one of the top sides in their group, their knockout route is mapped out. Their first knockout match takes place on June 29, with the venue and opponent determined by their group finish.

If they finish first in the group:

• They would face the runner-up of Group F.

If they finish second in the group:

• They would face the winner of Group F.

Looking further ahead, Brazil could meet England in the quarter-finals if both teams top their groups, and could face Argentina in a semi-final. Pre-tournament favourites France or Spain would only cross paths with Brazil in a potential final.

Which group is Brazil in?

After the draw in Washington, Brazil were placed alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland in Group C. The national team opens against Morocco, faces Haiti in the second match, and finishes the group stage against Scotland.

Even as a top seed, Brazil’s group is no easy ride. Morocco were semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup, and Scotland are in strong form in Europe, while Haiti, in their first appearance for decades, will look to spring a surprise.

Our World Cup Group C preview gives a full rundown on what to expect.

Analysis of Brazil's matches at the 2026 World Cup

Adding to the challenge, Brazil have several key players sidelined through injury. Their group at the 2026 World Cup is no walkover. The risk profile for each match is outlined below:

Morocco	Fourth in 2022	Achraf Hakimi (PSG)	Defence-focused (compressing space between the lines)	High — semi-finalists in 2022
Scotland	Group stage in 1998	Scott McTominay	Defence-focused (using a back three)	Medium — no World Cup pedigree
Haiti	Group stage in 1974	Jean Bellegarde	Defence and counter-attack (built on pace)	Low — first World Cup in half a century

Here is the picture we used to gauge the risk level of Brazil's 2026 World Cup matches:

• Morocco are in the FIFA top 10 and arrive on the back of five wins and a draw, making them Brazil’s toughest group-stage opponent.
• Scotland topped their European qualifying group but lost their last two friendlies to Ivory Coast and Japan.
• Haiti are in their first World Cup since 1974 and sit 83rd in the FIFA rankings, making them the group’s dark horse.

Once teams have played their openers, Haiti could yet emerge as one of the tournament’s surprises. And despite their form, Morocco are still viewed as a potential dark horse to go all the way.

The presence of emerging nations raises the possibility of upsets and underdogs making their mark at the 2026 World Cup—something likely to become more frequent under the expanded 48-team format.

Which countries will Brazil play in?

With the group set, Brazil will play their entire group stage on the East Coast of the United States. The national team will not play in Canada or Mexico during the group phase.

The projected venues for each round are:

• Opener: Boston or New York
• Second match: Boston or Philadelphia
• Third match: Atlanta or Miami

Full 2026 World Cup calendar

Here are the full dates for the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11 at Estadio Azteca and ends with the final on July 19 in East Rutherford:

• Group stage: June 11 to June 27
• Round of 32: June 29 to July 3
• Round of 16: July 4 to July 7
• Quarter-finals: July 9 to July 11
• Semi-finals: July 14 and July 15
• Third-place play-off: July 18
• Final: July 19

2026 World Cup trivia: USA, Mexico and Canada share the stage

For the first time in history, the World Cup will have three host nations: the USA, Mexico and Canada. The only previous occasion on which more than one country hosted the tournament was in 2002, when Japan and South Korea were the joint hosts.

Other firsts at this edition include a record 48 participants, a record 104 matches, and a record event length of 39 days.

Match distribution by host country

The United States will be the main stage for the 2026 World Cup, with Canada and Mexico hosting matches only through the round of 16. The breakdown is as follows:

• Canada: 13 matches
• Mexico: 13 matches
• United States: 78 matches

2026 World Cup host cities

A total of 16 cities and 16 stadiums will host the 2026 World Cup. The full list is as follows:

United States host cities

• Los Angeles: SoFi Stadium (capacity 70,240)
• Dallas: AT&T Stadium (capacity 80,000)
• Boston: Gillette Stadium (capacity 65,878)
• New York/New Jersey: MetLife Stadium (capacity 82,500)
• Kansas City: Arrowhead Stadium (capacity 76,416)
• Atlanta: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (capacity 71,000)
• Houston: NRG Stadium (capacity 71,795)
• Miami: Hard Rock Stadium (capacity 64,767)
• Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field (capacity 69,176)
• San Francisco/San Jose: Levi's Stadium (capacity 68,500)

Mexican host cities

• Mexico City: Estadio Azteca (capacity 87,823)
• Monterrey: Estadio BBVA (capacity 53,500)
• Guadalajara: Estadio Akron (capacity 46,232)

Canadian host cities

• Vancouver: BC Place (capacity 54,500)
• Toronto: BMO Field (capacity 30,000)

48 Nations: The Biggest World Cup in History

The expansion to 48 teams has benefited every continent. The breakdown of places for 2026 is as follows:

• North and Central America: six places (three for the host nations plus three from CONCACAF qualifying)
• South America: six places
• Europe: 16 places
• Africa: nine places
• Asia: eight places
• Oceania: one place
• Intercontinental play-off: two places

The two FIFA World Cup play-off places were contested by six teams from five confederations, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq coming through.

Which nations have already qualified for the World Cup?

All 48 nations qualified for the 2026 World Cup are now confirmed. Here is the full list:

South American nations

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Ecuador
• Uruguay
• Colombia
• Paraguay

European nations

• England
• France
• Croatia
• Portugal
• Norway
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Scotland
• Spain
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bosnia
• Sweden
• Turkey
• Czech Republic

Nations from other continents

• United States
• Mexico
• Canada
• Curaçao
• Panama
• Haiti
• Morocco
• Tunisia
• Egypt
• Algeria
• Ghana
• Cape Verde
• South Africa
• Senegal
• Ivory Coast
• Australia
• Japan
• Jordan
• Republic of Korea
• Islamic Republic of Iran
• Uzbekistan
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• New Zealand
• Congo
• Iraq

Who came through the 2026 World Cup play-offs?

The play-offs were settled in March, and the six qualified nations are now known. With Italy missing out for the third time in a row, here are the sides that got through and will be at the World Cup:

• Path A (UEFA): Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Path B (UEFA): Sweden
• Path C (UEFA): Turkey
• Path D (UEFA): Czech Republic
• Path 1 (intercontinental play-offs): DR Congo
• Path 2 (intercontinental play-offs): Iraq

Where to watch the World Cup in Brazil?

The 2026 World Cup matches will be broadcast in Brazil by Globo, CazéTV, SBT, and N Sports. Of those, only CazéTV has secured the rights to all of the matches.

For viewers focused on the national team, there are several options to watch the 2026 World Cup on TV or streaming, as every broadcaster will air Brazil's matches.

Globo (free-to-air and pay TV)	32 matches to be confirmed	✅
SBT	32 matches to be confirmed	✅
N Sports	32 matches to be confirmed	✅
CazéTV	104 matches	✅

Frequently asked questions about the 2026 World Cup

Here are the main questions about the 2026 World Cup:

What will the 2026 World Cup look like?

The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams split into 12 groups of four. The top two from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, advance to the knockout stage, played as single-leg ties through to the final.

Why will the 2026 World Cup be held in three countries?

The decision to host the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is tied to the infrastructure available in those countries and the expansion to 48 nations, which requires more stadiums and host cities to deliver the tournament.

What is the 2026 World Cup calendar?

The 2026 World Cup begins on June 11, and the group stage finishes on June 27. The knockout phase then runs from June 29 to July 19, the date of the final.

Who will be the top seeds at the 2026 World Cup?

Brazil will be top seeds at the 2026 World Cup along with Canada, Mexico, the United States, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Who are Brazil's opponents at the World Cup?

Brazil's opponents in the 2026 World Cup group stage are Morocco, Scotland and Haiti.