FIFA have confirmed the full schedule for the 2026 World Cup, with England and Scotland learning what times and where their matches will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico
England will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas at 9pm UK time, after it was confirmed that the match will be played in X. After the group stage draw took place on Friday, FIFA gave now unveiled the full list of kick-off times and locations for all 104 games at next summer’s tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Three Lions’ opener against Croatia will be played on Wednesday, June 17. England’s second match against Ghana will take place on Tuesday, June 23, in Boston and start at 9pm UK time.
Thomas Tuchel’s side then finish their group stage run by facing Panama on Saturday, June 27 in New York at 10pm UK time. If they finish top of Group L, England could find themselves playing co-hosts Mexico, Brazil and Argentina en route to a final against either France or Spain, who beat them in the final of Euro 2024.
As for Scotland, they’ll start against Haiti in Boston in the early hours of Sunday, 14 June. Steve Clarke’s men then play Morocco in Boston on Thursday, June 18 at 11pm before a mouth-watering clash with Brazil in Miami on Wednesday, June 24 at 11pm.
Unlike England, who were a top seed, Scotland were drawn from pot 3 and face a difficult battle to finish inside the top two. Fortunately, the best eight of the 12 third-placed sides will also go into the knockout phase.
England’s group also isn’t easy, as Tuchel acknowledged following Friday’s draw. “We have Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups, and we have Panama,” the England manager explained.
“I don’t know much about Panama, but we will know everything about them when the tournament starts. For me personally, even in the Champions League, you have to focus on the group – the group is always the most difficult, and we want to escape, and we want to win the group. It’s a tough one.
“No one should be underestimated. Of course, Croatia is the standout name [and] the highest-ranked team from Pot 2 that we got into our group. It’s a difficult opener against Croatia. We take it from here.”
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Clarke said of the opponents that Scotland were given: “There’s lots of positives from the draw. I’m happy not to draw any of the European teams because we play them a lot obviously.
“It feels like a World Cup because we play three teams from three different continents and that’s what the World Cup is all about. It’s a strange quirk of fate to draw two teams that we faced at the last World Cup we were at in 1998. Sometimes that happens in the draw.”
England’s group stage dates, kick-off times and venues
Wednesday, June 17 – England vs Croatia, Dallas, 9pm
Tuesday, June 23 – England vs Ghana Boston, 9pm
Saturday, June 27 – England vs Panama, New York, 10pm
Scotland’s group stage dates, kick-off times and venues
Sunday, June 14 – Scotland vs Haiti, Boston, 2am
Thursday, June 18 – Scotland vs Morocco, Boston, 11pm
Wednesday, June 24 – Scotland vs Brazil, Miami, 11pm
*All times and dates in BST
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