Here are the FIFA World Cup 2026 kick-off times in Kenya (EAT) — the key dates, the marquee fixtures and the final.
Kenya is 7 hours ahead of the US host cities, so most matches fall late at night or overnight.
Full Group-Stage Schedule in Kenya Time
All 72 group-stage matches run from 11 to 27 June, in Kenya local time (EAT). Late US kick-offs roll into the early hours of the next day here, so the date shown is the Kenyan day the match actually starts.
| Date (Kenya) | Match | Kick-Off (EAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 11 Jun | Mexico vs South Africa | 10:00 p.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | South Korea vs Czechia | 5:00 a.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | 4:00 a.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | Qatar vs Switzerland | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Brazil vs Morocco | 1:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Haiti vs Scotland | 4:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Australia vs Türkiye | 7:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Germany vs Curaçao | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Netherlands vs Japan | 11:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 2:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Sweden vs Tunisia | 5:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Spain vs Cape Verde | 7:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Belgium vs Egypt | 10:00 p.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 1:00 a.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Iran vs New Zealand | 4:00 a.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | France vs Senegal | 10:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | 1:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Argentina vs Algeria | 4:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Austria vs Jordan | 7:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Portugal vs DR Congo | 8:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | England vs Croatia | 11:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Ghana vs Panama | 2:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 5:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Czechia vs South Africa | 7:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 10:00 p.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Canada vs Qatar | 1:00 a.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Mexico vs South Korea | 4:00 a.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | USA vs Australia | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Scotland vs Morocco | 1:00 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Brazil vs Haiti | 3:30 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Türkiye vs Paraguay | 7:00 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Netherlands vs Sweden | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Germany vs Ivory Coast | 11:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Ecuador vs Curaçao | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Tunisia vs Japan | 7:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 7:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 10:00 p.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 1:00 a.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | New Zealand vs Egypt | 4:00 a.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 8:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | France vs Iraq | 12:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 3:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Jordan vs Algeria | 6:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 8:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | 11:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 2:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 5:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Switzerland vs Canada | 10:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | 10:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 1:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Morocco vs Haiti | 1:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 4:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | South Africa vs South Korea | 4:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 11:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Ecuador vs Germany | 11:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Japan vs Sweden | 2:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Tunisia vs Netherlands | 2:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Türkiye vs USA | 5:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | 5:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Norway vs France | 10:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Uruguay vs Spain | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Egypt vs Iran | 6:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | New Zealand vs Belgium | 6:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Panama vs England | 12:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Croatia vs Ghana | 12:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Colombia vs Portugal | 2:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | 2:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Algeria vs Austria | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Jordan vs Argentina | 5:00 a.m. |
For the bigger picture — group draws, venues and the tournament arc — see Wego’s full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule guide.
Knockout Rounds and Final in Kenya Time
The knockout matchups are confirmed once the group stage ends, but the dates and headline kick-offs are already fixed. Both semi-finals and the final kick off at 10:00 p.m. Kenya time; the third-place play-off starts at 12:00 a.m.
| Stage | Dates (Kenya) | Kick-Off (EAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun – 4 Jul | Times confirmed after groups |
| Round of 16 | 4 – 7 Jul | Times confirmed after groups |
| Quarter-finals | 9 – 12 Jul | Times confirmed after groups |
| Semi-finals | 14 & 15 Jul | 10:00 p.m. |
| Third-place play-off | 19 Jul | 12:00 a.m. |
| Final | 19 Jul | 10:00 p.m. |
The final lands on Sunday 19 July at 10:00 p.m. in Kenya — a sociable evening kick-off in New York/New Jersey. The tournament opens on 11 June with Mexico vs South Africa.
Watching the World Cup From Kenya
Prime-Time Games
The friendliest slots are the 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. matches — early US afternoon kick-offs that land in the Kenyan evening, easy after-work or family viewing. The final at 10:00 p.m. on 19 July sits perfectly here.
Overnight Games
Anything from midnight to dawn falls in the small hours locally; plan a nap and set an alarm. West Coast fixtures (Los Angeles, Vancouver) run latest, often 4:00–7:00 a.m. Travelling to a match? Kenya Airways flies from Nairobi; for the final, compare flights to New York and New York hotels.
Sources
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 fixtures and schedule
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 official tournament page
- FOX Sports — FIFA World Cup schedule
Disclaimer: Kick-off times and dates are accurate at the time of writing and are subject to change by FIFA. Always confirm fixtures and times against the official FIFA schedule before making travel or viewing plans.
