World Cup 2026 kickoff times in JST
All 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, in Japan (JST). 44 kickoffs fall in overnight hours.
JST (UTC+9) means World Cup 2026 plays out in Japanese mornings and early afternoons — the friendlier end of the timezone spread. The opener is Friday 12 June at 04:00 JST, the final is Monday 20 July at 04:00 JST.
Most of the group stage sits in a civilised 06:00–14:00 JST window. For Japan (Group F) fans, the fixtures against the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia are all daytime kickoffs locally.
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 JST?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening match kicks off at Fri 12 Jun 04:00 JST — Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.
What time is the 2026 World Cup final in JST?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final kicks off at Mon 20 Jul 04:00 JST at MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey on 2026-07-19.
How many late-night kickoffs are there in JST?
44 of 104 matches kick off in overnight hours (before 7am or after 11pm) in Japan (JST).
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 Japan (JST) (Asia/Tokyo) using IANA timezone data.