Today, 11 June 2026, the long-awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off. This World Cup will go down in history as the biggest ever: for the first time, the tournament will feature 48 teams, which will set a record 104 matches over a period of 39 days across the fields of the three host countries—the US, Canada and Mexico.
When do the first matches start and what is the schedule?
The official opening ceremony and the first match will take place at the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The tournament hosts, the Mexico national team, will kick off the group stage against South Africa.
Below is the schedule for the opening matches of the first three days of play (Kyiv time):
| Date | Match | Group. | Stadium / City | Start (Kyiv) |
| 11 June | Mexico 🆚 South Africa | Group A | Mexico City Stadium | 22:00 |
| 12 June | South Korea 🆚 Czech Republic | … | Guadalajara Stadium | 05:00 |
| 12 June | Canada 🆚 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Group B | Toronto Stadium | 22:00 |
| 13 June | USA 🆚 Paraguay | Group D | Los Angeles Stadium | 04:00 |
| 13 June | Switzerland 🆚 Qatar | Group B | San Francisco Stadium | 22:00 |
Important: The final match for the world title will take place 19 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium (New York / New Jersey) and will kick off at 22:00 Kyiv time.
Where to watch the broadcasts in Ukraine
The exclusive rights to broadcast all matches of the 2026 World Cup in Ukraine have been awarded to media service MEGOGO.
-
Pay-TV: All 104 matches, from the opening game to the final, will be available with full commentary (including studio analysis and Ukrainian commentators) on the dedicated channels «MEGOGO Football 1», «MEGOGO Football 2» and «MEGOGO Football 3» as part of the «Sport» or «Maximum» subscriptions.
-
Live broadcast: Some of the matches will be broadcast free of charge on the TV channel «MEGOGO SPORT», which is available via T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting and on cable networks.
Favourites and analysts’ predictions for the 2026 World Cup
As the tournament format has changed (with the top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed teams, now progressing to the round of 32), analysts are predicting an unprecedented number of upsets in the early stages.
Bookmakers and football experts have identified several main contenders for the gold:
-
France: It boasts one of the most balanced squads in the world and a wealth of experience in major tournaments.
-
Brazil: A perennial favourite at every World Cup, they are keen to reclaim the title on the American continent.
-
England and Argentina: The reigning World Cup champions (Argentina) and a formidable generation of English players round off the quartet of main contenders for the trophy.
The US and Mexico national teams are tipped as the main «dark horses» of the tournament; thanks to the raucous support of their home crowds, they are capable of reaching the later stages of the play-offs.
