Here are the FIFA World Cup 2026 kick-off times in Iraq (AST) — Iraq’s Group I games, key dates and the final.
Iraq is 7 hours ahead of the host cities, so most games fall late at night or in the early hours.
Iraq’s Group I Matches
Iraq is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986, drawn in Group I with France, Senegal and Norway. All three kick-offs, in Iraq local time:
| Match | Date (local) | Kick-Off (local) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iraq vs Norway | Wed 17 Jun | 1:00 a.m. | Boston |
| France vs Iraq | Tue 23 Jun | 12:00 a.m. | Philadelphia |
| Senegal vs Iraq | Fri 26 Jun | 10:00 p.m. | Toronto |
Only Senegal vs Iraq is an easy watch — a 10 p.m. Friday kick-off. The Norway and France games start after midnight, so plan for a late night. Fans travelling to back the team can check Iraqi Airways and flights from Baghdad or Erbil.
Full Group-Stage Schedule
Every match in the group stage, in Iraq local time. Late US kick-offs roll past midnight, so the date shown is the local Iraqi day — sometimes a day after the US date. Iraq’s matches are in bold.
| Date (local) | Match | Kick-Off (local) |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Knockout Rounds and Final
Knockout matchups are set once the group stage ends, but the dates and the headline kick-offs are fixed. The semi-finals and the final are the easy ones for Iraqi fans — both at 10 p.m. local.
| Stage | Dates (local) | Kick-Off (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 28 Jun – 4 Jul | Evening to early hours |
| Round of 16 | 4 – 8 Jul | Evening to early hours |
| Quarter-finals | 9 – 12 Jul | Evening to early hours |
| 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 kicks off at 10 p.m. Iraq time on Sunday 19 July — prime time, no alarm needed. Exact dates and times for each knockout match are confirmed once the groups finish.
Watching from Iraq
Prime-Time Games
Noon and 3 p.m. ET kick-offs land at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in Iraq — comfortable evening viewing. Senegal vs Iraq (10 p.m., 26 June) and the final (10 p.m., 19 July) both fall in this sociable slot.
Overnight Games
Kick-offs from 6 p.m. ET onward run between midnight and 6 a.m. Iraq time. Iraq vs Norway (1 a.m.) and France vs Iraq (midnight) are both late — nap first and set an alarm. West Coast games in Los Angeles and Seattle start latest.
Sources
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 fixtures
- FIFA — World Cup 2026 line-up complete as Iraq claim final spot
- FOX Sports — Iraq World Cup 2026 schedule
Where to stay: Heading to the tournament in person? Compare hotels in New York, hotels in Los Angeles and hotels in Dallas across the host cities.
Disclaimer: Kick-off times and dates are accurate at the time of writing and are based on the official FIFA schedule. Fixtures, especially in the knockout stage, may change. Always confirm with official sources before making travel or viewing plans.
