World Cup 2026 kickoff times in CEST

Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) is the clock for most of continental Europe through the tournament. 69 of the 104 kickoffs fall between 22:00 and 06:00 CEST, 50 of them after midnight. The tournament opens Thursday 11 June at 21:00 CEST with Mexico vs South Africa at the Azteca; the final is Sunday 19 July at 21:00 CEST.

For Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Austria and Switzerland fans, East-Coast US kickoffs sit roughly 21:00–03:00 CEST. West-Coast games push into 04:00–06:00 CEST — early-alarm matches for anything played in Los Angeles, Seattle or Vancouver.