Here are the FIFA World Cup 2026 kick-off times in Nigeria (WAT) — every match date and the final, on your own clock.
Nigeria runs five hours ahead of the host cities, so games fall from evening into the early hours.
Full Group-Stage Schedule
Nigeria did not qualify, so this is your guide to following the tournament. All 72 group-stage fixtures below are in Nigeria local time (WAT). For the global picture, see the full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule.
Late US evening kick-offs roll into the early hours of the next day in Nigeria — the dates shown are the real local dates, so check them carefully.
| Date (Nigeria) | Match | Kick-Off (WAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 11 Jun | Mexico vs South Africa | 8:00 p.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | South Korea vs Czechia | 3:00 a.m. |
| Fri 12 Jun | Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | USA vs Paraguay | 2:00 a.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | Qatar vs Switzerland | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sat 13 Jun | Brazil vs Morocco | 11:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Haiti vs Scotland | 2:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Australia vs Türkiye | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Germany vs Curaçao | 6:00 p.m. |
| Sun 14 Jun | Netherlands vs Japan | 9:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador | 12:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Sweden vs Tunisia | 3:00 a.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Spain vs Cape Verde | 5:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Belgium vs Egypt | 8:00 p.m. |
| Mon 15 Jun | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | 11:00 p.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Iran vs New Zealand | 2:00 a.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | France vs Senegal | 8:00 p.m. |
| Tue 16 Jun | Iraq vs Norway | 11:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Argentina vs Algeria | 2:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Austria vs Jordan | 5:00 a.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | Portugal vs DR Congo | 6:00 p.m. |
| Wed 17 Jun | England vs Croatia | 9:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Ghana vs Panama | 12:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 3:00 a.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Czechia vs South Africa | 5:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina | 8:00 p.m. |
| Thu 18 Jun | Canada vs Qatar | 11:00 p.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Mexico vs South Korea | 4:00 a.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | USA vs Australia | 8:00 p.m. |
| Fri 19 Jun | Scotland vs Morocco | 11:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Brazil vs Haiti | 1:30 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Türkiye vs Paraguay | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Netherlands vs Sweden | 6:00 p.m. |
| Sat 20 Jun | Germany vs Ivory Coast | 9:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Ecuador vs Curaçao | 1:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Tunisia vs Japan | 5:00 a.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | 5:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Belgium vs Iran | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sun 21 Jun | Uruguay vs Cape Verde | 11:00 p.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | New Zealand vs Egypt | 2:00 a.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | Argentina vs Austria | 6:00 p.m. |
| Mon 22 Jun | France vs Iraq | 10:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Norway vs Senegal | 1:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Jordan vs Algeria | 4:00 a.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | Portugal vs Uzbekistan | 6:00 p.m. |
| Tue 23 Jun | England vs Ghana | 9:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Panama vs Croatia | 12:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Colombia vs DR Congo | 3:00 a.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Switzerland vs Canada | 8:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar | 8:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Scotland vs Brazil | 11:00 p.m. |
| Wed 24 Jun | Morocco vs Haiti | 11:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Czechia vs Mexico | 2:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | South Africa vs South Korea | 2:00 a.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Curaçao vs Ivory Coast | 9:00 p.m. |
| Thu 25 Jun | Ecuador vs Germany | 9:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Japan vs Sweden | 12:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Tunisia vs Netherlands | 12:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Türkiye vs USA | 3:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Paraguay vs Australia | 3:00 a.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Norway vs France | 8:00 p.m. |
| Fri 26 Jun | Senegal vs Iraq | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | 1:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Uruguay vs Spain | 1:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Egypt vs Iran | 4:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | New Zealand vs Belgium | 4:00 a.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Panama vs England | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sat 27 Jun | Croatia vs Ghana | 10:00 p.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Colombia vs Portugal | 12:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan | 12:30 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Algeria vs Austria | 3:00 a.m. |
| Sun 28 Jun | Jordan vs Argentina | 3:00 a.m. |
Knockout Rounds and Final
The matchups are confirmed once the group stage ends, but the dates and headline kick-offs are fixed. The opening match, both semi-finals and the final all kick off at 8:00 p.m. WAT.
| Stage | Dates (Nigeria) | Kick-Off (WAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun – 3 Jul | Confirmed after group stage |
| Round of 16 | 4 – 7 Jul | Confirmed after group stage |
| Quarter-finals | 9 – 11 Jul | Confirmed after group stage |
| Semi-finals | 14 & 15 Jul | 8:00 p.m. |
| Third-Place Play-Off | 18 Jul | 10:00 p.m. |
| Final | 19 Jul | 8:00 p.m. |
Evening US kick-offs in the knockouts fall in the early hours of the next day in Nigeria. The final lands at a comfortable 8:00 p.m. WAT on Sunday, 19 July.
Watching From Nigeria
Prime-Time Games
Afternoon US kick-offs land between 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. in Nigeria — easy after-work and family viewing. The final on 19 July kicks off at 8:00 p.m. WAT, perfect prime time.
Overnight Games
Evening US matches fall between midnight and 5:00 a.m. WAT, so nap early and set alarms. West Coast games (Los Angeles, Seattle) run latest.
Heading over? Compare flights to New York and New York hotels early. Fellow West African fans can also see the Ghana schedule (Ghana runs one hour behind Nigeria, on GMT).
Sources
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 Fixtures
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 Tournament Hub
- FOX Sports — FIFA World Cup Schedule
Disclaimer: Kick-off times and dates are accurate at the time of writing and converted to Nigeria local time (WAT, UTC+1). Schedules can change — always confirm against official FIFA sources before making plans. Wego is not responsible for any changes made by the organisers.
