The group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026 is drawing to a close, with the final round of fixtures set to conclude in the early hours of Sunday morning — opening the door to what promises to be a thrilling knockout phase.

The tournament, which kicked off on Thursday, June 11 with co-hosts Mexico's 2-0 victory over South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, features a record 104 matches in total. The expanded format includes 12 groups — up from eight in previous editions — meaning most teams played only two matches in the opening fortnight.

A new knockout round changes everything

For the first time, the World Cup features a last-32 stage, adding an extra knockout round before the traditional last 16. As a result, both finalists will have played eight matches by the time they lift the trophy — a significant increase from previous editions.

All last-32 fixtures are scheduled between Sunday, June 28 and the early hours of Saturday, July 4. The last 16 follows immediately, running from Saturday, July 4 through to Tuesday, July 7.

The quarter-finals take place between Thursday, July 9 and Saturday, July 11. Notably, from the quarter-final stage onward, all matches are held exclusively in the USA, with co-hosts Canada and Mexico stepping aside for the concluding rounds.

Semi-finals, third place, and the grand final

The semi-finals are set for Tuesday, July 14 in Dallas and Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta, with both ties kicking off at 8pm BST.

The third-place play-off follows on Saturday, July 18 in Miami, with a 10pm BST kick-off. Then, on Sunday, July 19, the World Cup 2026 final takes place in New Jersey at 8pm BST — bringing the curtain down on what will be the longest World Cup in history.

At 39 days from start to finish, this edition runs a full seven days longer than recent tournaments, cementing its place as the most expansive FIFA World Cup ever staged.