🇬🇧 UK Viewer Guide

World Cup 2026 UK Kick-Off Times: Every Match in BST

All 72 group stage matches · British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1)

Quick Answer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026. UK viewers watch in British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1). Games in North America kick off between 12pm and 11pm Eastern Time — meaning UK times range from 5:00pm to 4:00am BST. Around 20 group stage games fall in the prime 5pm–9pm BST window, including the opening match at 8pm and England vs Croatia at 9pm BST. The Final on Sunday 19 July kicks off at 8:00pm BST — a perfect Sunday evening slot.

⭐ Best Games for UK Evening Viewing

These group stage matches kick off between 5:00pm and 9:00pm BST — ideal for watching live without a late night.

DateBSTMatchGroup
Thu 11 Jun20:00 BST🇲🇽 Mexico vs South Africa 🇿🇦A
Fri 12 Jun20:00 BST🇨🇦 Canada vs UEFA Playoff AB
Sat 13 Jun20:00 BST🇶🇦 Qatar vs Switzerland 🇨🇭B
Sun 14 Jun18:00 BST🇩🇪 Germany vs Curaçao 🇨🇼E
Mon 15 Jun17:00 BST🇪🇸 Spain vs Cape Verde 🇨🇻H
Mon 15 Jun20:00 BST🇧🇪 Belgium vs Egypt 🇪🇬G
Tue 16 Jun20:00 BST🇫🇷 France vs Senegal 🇸🇳I
Wed 17 Jun18:00 BST🇵🇹 Portugal vs IC Playoff 1K
Wed 17 Jun21:00 BST🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs Croatia 🇭🇷L
Thu 18 Jun17:00 BSTUEFA PO D vs South Africa 🇿🇦A
Thu 18 Jun20:00 BST🇨🇭 Switzerland vs UEFA PO AB
Fri 19 Jun20:00 BST🇺🇸 USA vs Australia 🇦🇺D
Sat 20 Jun18:00 BST🇳🇱 Netherlands vs UEFA PO BF
Sat 20 Jun21:00 BST🇩🇪 Germany vs Ivory Coast 🇨🇮E
Sun 21 Jun17:00 BST🇪🇸 Spain vs Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦H
Sun 21 Jun20:00 BST🇧🇪 Belgium vs Iran 🇮🇷G
Mon 22 Jun18:00 BST🇦🇷 Argentina vs Austria 🇦🇹J
Tue 23 Jun18:00 BST🇵🇹 Portugal vs Uzbekistan 🇺🇿K
Tue 23 Jun21:00 BST🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs Ghana 🇬🇭L
Wed 24 Jun20:00 BST🇨🇭 Switzerland vs Canada 🇨🇦B
Wed 24 Jun20:00 BSTUEFA PO A vs Qatar 🇶🇦B
Thu 25 Jun21:00 BST🇪🇨 Ecuador vs Germany 🇩🇪E
Thu 25 Jun21:00 BSTCuraçao 🇨🇼 vs Ivory Coast 🇨🇮E
Fri 26 Jun20:00 BST🇳🇴 Norway vs France 🇫🇷I
Fri 26 Jun20:00 BST🇸🇳 Senegal vs IC Playoff 2I
Sat 27 Jun22:00 BST🇵🇦 Panama vs England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿L

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Highlighted rows = England fixtures

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England Fixtures in BST

England are in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. All three group stage games are late evening UK time.

DateBSTMatchVenue
Wed 17 Jun21:00 BST🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs Croatia 🇭🇷AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Tue 23 Jun21:00 BST🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England vs Ghana 🇬🇭Gillette Stadium, Boston
Sat 27 Jun22:00 BST🇵🇦 Panama vs England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿MetLife Stadium, New York

The Panama game on Saturday 27 June at 22:00 BST is the most social-friendly England fixture — a late Saturday night with no work the next morning. See the full England guide →

🗓️ Key Dates for UK Viewers

StageDatesUK Times
Group Stage11–27 June17:00–04:00 BST
Round of 3228 Jun–3 Jul17:00–04:00 BST
Round of 164–7 July17:00–01:00 BST
Quarter-finals9–11 July20:00–02:00 BST
Semi-finals14–15 July20:00 BST both days
Third-place play-offSat 18 July22:00 BST
🏆 FinalSun 19 July20:00 BST

The Semi-finals and Final all fall in prime UK evening slots — 8pm BST — making the knockout rounds much more viewer-friendly than the group stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the World Cup 2026 start in the UK?

The opening match — Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca — kicks off at 8:00pm BST on Thursday 11 June 2026. A great evening opener for UK viewers.

What time is the World Cup 2026 Final in the UK?

The Final at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey kicks off at 8:00pm BST on Sunday 19 July 2026 (3:00pm Eastern Time). A perfect Sunday evening slot.

What channel is the World Cup 2026 on in the UK?

The BBC and ITV share UK broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. All matches are available free-to-air. Specific match allocations between the two channels had not been announced as of March 2026.

Are any World Cup 2026 games before 9pm in the UK?

Yes — around 20 group stage games kick off between 5pm and 9pm BST. These are matches starting at 12pm–4pm Eastern Time. The most common UK-friendly slots are 5pm, 6pm and 8pm BST. See the full list above.

What time does Scotland play in the World Cup 2026?

Scotland are in Group C. Their fixtures in BST: Haiti vs Scotland at 2:00am BST on Saturday 14 June, Scotland vs Morocco at 11:00pm BST on Thursday 19 June, and Scotland vs Brazil at 11:00pm BST on Wednesday 24 June. These are all late-night UK kick-offs.

See All Times in Your Timezone

Use the interactive fixture app to view every match — group stage through to the Final — in any timezone worldwide.

Open the Fixtures App →