Here are the FIFA World Cup 2026 kick-off times in France (CEST) — France’s fixtures, the key dates, and the final.
France is six hours ahead of the host cities, so most games fall in the evening or late at night.
France’s Group I Matches
France open Group I against Senegal, then face Iraq and Norway — all three matches in the United States. In French local time:
| Match | Date (local) | Kick-Off (local) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| France vs Senegal | Tue 16 Jun | 9:00 p.m. | New York/New Jersey |
| France vs Iraq | Mon 22 Jun | 11:00 p.m. | Philadelphia |
| Norway vs France | Fri 26 Jun | 9:00 p.m. | Boston |
All three kick off in the evening — none overnight, a rare bit of luck for French fans. Travelling over? Air France flies from Paris to all three host cities, with hotels in New York, Philadelphia and Boston near the stadiums.
Full Group-Stage Schedule
The tournament opens on 11 June with Mexico vs South Africa. Below is every group-stage match in French local time, with France’s games in bold. For the tournament-wide picture, see our full World Cup 2026 dates and schedule.
Late US kick-offs roll into the early hours of the next day, so the dates below are the real French calendar dates.
| Date (local) | Match | Kick-Off (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 11 Jun | Mexico vs South Africa | 9:00 p.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | South Korea vs Czechia | 4:00 a.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 9:00 p.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | Qatar vs Switzerland | 9:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Brazil vs Morocco | 12:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Haiti vs Scotland | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Australia vs Türkiye | 6:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Germany vs Curaçao | 7:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Netherlands vs Japan | 10:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 1:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Sweden vs Tunisia | 4:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Spain vs Cape Verde | 6:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Belgium vs Egypt | 9:00 p.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 12:00 a.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Iran vs New Zealand | 3:00 a.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | France vs Senegal | 9:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | 12:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Argentina vs Algeria | 3:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Austria vs Jordan | 6:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Portugal vs DR Congo | 7:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | England vs Croatia | 10:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Ghana vs Panama | 1:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 4:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Czechia vs South Africa | 6:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 9:00 p.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Canada vs Qatar | 12:00 a.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Mexico vs South Korea | 3:00 a.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | USA vs Australia | 9:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Scotland vs Morocco | 12:00 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Brazil vs Haiti | 2:30 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Türkiye vs Paraguay | 6:00 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Netherlands vs Sweden | 7:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Germany vs Ivory Coast | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Ecuador vs Curaçao | 2:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Tunisia vs Japan | 6:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 6:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 9:00 p.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 12:00 a.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | New Zealand vs Egypt | 3:00 a.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 7:00 p.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | 11:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 2:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Jordan vs Algeria | 5:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 7:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | 10:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 1:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 4:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Switzerland vs Canada | 9:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | 9:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 12:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Morocco vs Haiti | 12:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 3:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | South Africa vs South Korea | 3:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 10:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Ecuador vs Germany | 10:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Japan vs Sweden | 1:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Tunisia vs Netherlands | 1:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Türkiye vs USA | 4:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | 4:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Norway vs France | 9:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | 9:00 p.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | 2:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Uruguay vs Spain | 2:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Egypt vs Iran | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | New Zealand vs Belgium | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Panama vs England | 11:00 p.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Croatia vs Ghana | 11:00 p.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Colombia vs Portugal | 1:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | 1:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Algeria vs Austria | 4:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Jordan vs Argentina | 4:00 a.m. |
Knockout Rounds and Final
The knockout matchups are set once the group stage ends, but the dates and the headline kick-offs are fixed. In French local time:
| Stage | Dates (local) | Kick-Off (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun – 4 Jul | Evening / overnight |
| Round of 16 | 4 – 8 Jul | Evening / overnight |
| Quarter-finals | 9 – 12 Jul | Evening / overnight |
| Semi-finals | 14 & 15 Jul | 9:00 p.m. |
| Third-place play-off | 18 Jul | 11:00 p.m. |
| Final | 19 Jul | 9:00 p.m. |
Exact matchups and per-match times are confirmed once the group stage finishes. The final kicks off Sunday 19 July at 9:00 p.m. in France — a perfect prime-time finish.
Watching from France
Prime-Time Games
Daytime US kick-offs (12 p.m.–5 p.m. ET) land between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. in France — ideal after-work and family viewing. All three France matches fall in this evening window.
Overnight Games
Matches starting 6 p.m. ET or later run from midnight to around 5:00 a.m. in France. West Coast fixtures (Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver) run latest, so plan ahead, nap, and set an alarm.
Sources
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 fixtures
- UEFA — France at the World Cup 2026
- FOX Sports — France World Cup 2026 schedule
Disclaimer: Kick-off times are converted to France local time (CEST) and are accurate at the time of writing. Fixtures, dates and times are subject to change by FIFA; always confirm with the official FIFA fixtures page before making plans.
