England kick off World Cup bid in Dallas, as 2026 schedule confirmed
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Thomas Tuchel’s England - fourth in the current world ranking - will play Croatia at 3pm local time at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, just outside Dallas.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
- England will face Croatia in Dallas on June 17 to open their 2026 World Cup bid; they then play Ghana in Boston and Panama outside New York City.
- Brazil will play Scotland in Miami on June 24, marking the fifth World Cup meeting between the two countries; other notable matches include Mexico vs. South Africa.
- The 2026 World Cup final will be held at the MetLife Stadium on July 19, kicking off at 3pm; the tournament features 48 teams across North America.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – England will open their 2026 World Cup bid against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, while the latest meeting of Brazil and Scotland at the tournament will take place in Miami, FIFA confirmed on Dec 6.
The complex nature of the first-ever 48-team World Cup being played all across North America meant that football’s world governing body needed an extra day to set venues and kick-off times after the Dec 5 draw.
Thomas Tuchel’s England, who are fourth in the current world ranking, will play Croatia at 3pm local time at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, just outside Dallas.
They will, therefore, be grateful for the stadium’s retractable roof which should help keep out the baking afternoon temperatures.
The Three Lions will then go to the northeastern United States for their remaining Group L fixtures, taking on Ghana in Boston on June 23 at 4pm local time, and then facing Panama at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York City on June 27 at 5pm.
European champions Spain will play their first two Group H fixtures, against debutants Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, in the covered and air-conditioned Atlanta stadium.
They will then head to Mexico to take on Uruguay in Guadalajara.
Holders Argentina, meanwhile, will meet Algeria in Kansas City in their opening match in Group J on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Dallas.
France, winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, will play all three Group I matches in the northeastern US, facing Senegal at the MetLife Stadium and Norway in Boston, either side of a fixture in Philadelphia against an intercontinental play-off winner.
Brazil, who won the last World Cup staged in the United States in 1994, will meet Morocco at the MetLife Stadium in their first Group C encounter on June 13.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team then meet Haiti in Philadelphia on June 19 before a clash with Scotland in Miami on June 24 – it will be the fifth time the countries have faced off at a World Cup.
Other games to look out for include the meeting of Germany and Caribbean minnows Curacao in Houston in Group E on June 14.
Co-hosts Mexico will play South Africa in the opening match – a repeat of the opening game at the 2010 World Cup – at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11.
The final at the MetLife Stadium on July 19 will kick off at 3pm (3am on July 20 in Singapore). AFP
