Fifa said it will reveal the updated match schedule for the 2026 World Cup in a live global broadcast from Washington on Saturday, nearly 24 hours after the final draw determines the tournament’s unprecedented 12 groups of four.
The show, set for 12pm EST (7pm SA time), will confirm venues and kickoff times for all 104 matches of the expanded 48-team tournament to be staged across the Canada, Mexico and the US next June and July, the governing body said in a statement on Monday.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino will lead the presentation alongside former players, with representatives from the 42 teams already qualified — and those still in contention — expected to be in attendance.
One week to go until the Final Draw ✨
— FIFA World Cup 26 Kansas City (@FWC26KansasCity) November 28, 2025
The Final Draw is a pivotal moment as qualified nations are placed into their groups for the FIFA World Cup 26™ ⚽️. The match schedule will be finalized in the days that follow, and people around the world will begin learning more about… pic.twitter.com/7tOoVqqK4j
Iran, however, said it will boycott Friday’s draw. Fifa did not respond to requests from comment form Reuters.
Fifa said the post-draw match allocation process aims to create optimal conditions for players and supporters and, where possible, allow viewing across multiple time zones.
The final version of the schedule will be confirmed in March once the remaining six qualification spots have been filled through Fifa and European playoffs.
The 2026 World Cup — the first to feature 48 teams and 104 matches — will be hosted by 16 cities across three countries, with almost 2-million tickets already sold for the tournament.
Bafana Bafana are in Pot 3 for Friday’s draw.
Reuters
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