Fifa to Broadcast 2026 World Cup Match Schedule Unveiling on Saturday

Fifa has announced that it will unveil the updated match schedule for the 2026 World Cup during a live global broadcast from Washington on Saturday, almost 24 hours after the final draw establishes the tournament’s unprecedented 12 groups of four.

Scheduled for 12pm EST (7pm South African time), the broadcast will confirm the venues and kick-off times for all 104 fixtures of the expanded 48-team tournament, which will be staged across Canada, Mexico and the United States next June and July, the governing body said in a statement on Monday.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino will lead the presentation alongside a host of former players, with representatives from the 42 teams already qualified — as well as nations still battling for a place — expected to attend.

Iran, however, has announced it will boycott Friday’s draw. Fifa did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

According to Fifa, the post-draw match allocation process is designed to provide optimal conditions for both players and supporters and, where possible, facilitate global viewership across multiple time zones.

The finalised version of the schedule will be confirmed in March, once the six remaining qualification places have been decided through Fifa and UEFA play-offs.

The 2026 World Cup — the first to feature 48 teams and 104 matches — will be hosted across 16 cities in three countries, with nearly two million tickets already sold.

Bafana Bafana have been placed in Pot 3 for Friday’s draw.