World Cup 2026 kickoff times in BST
All 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, in UK & Ireland (BST). 60 kickoffs fall in overnight hours.
BST is UTC+1 through the World Cup 2026. 60 of the 104 matches kick off in the 22:00–06:00 BST window, including 42 after midnight. The opener is Thursday 11 June at 20:00 BST (Mexico vs South Africa at the Azteca). The final is Sunday 19 July at 20:00 BST at MetLife Stadium.
West-coast group games are the worst of it: 21:00 kickoffs in Los Angeles, Seattle or Vancouver land at 05:00 BST the following morning. For England fans, the Group L fixtures against Croatia, Ghana and Panama sit more gently in the BST evening; the late nights begin in the knockouts.
Group stage
Round of 32
Round of 16
Third-place play-off
Final
Frequently asked questions
What time does the 2026 World Cup start in BST?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match kicks off at Thu 11 Jun 20:00 BST — Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.
What time is the 2026 World Cup final in BST?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final kicks off at Sun 19 Jul 20:00 BST at MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey on 2026-07-19.
How many late-night kickoffs are there in BST?
60 of 104 matches kick off in overnight hours (before 7am or after 11pm) in UK & Ireland (BST).
Is this schedule official?
All times are converted from FIFA's official 2026 World Cup schedule and verified manually. Kickoffs are stored in UTC and converted to UK & Ireland (BST) (Europe/London) using IANA timezone data.