World Cup Draw Leaves Teams in the Dark About Match Schedules

Excitement builds ahead of Friday's 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage draw, where the tournament's 42 qualified teams and remaining playoff contenders will learn their opponents for the competition.

All 12 groups will be determined at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Some teams will breathe easy with a favorable draw, while others will face the dreaded 'Group of Death.'

Fans are eagerly awaiting the event but must postpone booking travel arrangements a bit longer, as the official group stage schedule won't be finalized immediately after the draw concludes.

So, what's behind the delay in revealing match times and venues for the group stage? And how long is the wait?

When Will the 2026 World Cup Schedule Be Released?

For the first time in World Cup history, participating nations won't receive their complete group stage schedule on draw day. Instead, they must wait until Saturday, Dec. 6 to discover their fixture details.

On Monday, FIFA announced their choice to postpone releasing each group's and team's official schedule—which includes finalizing kickoff times and venues for participants. Friday's draw begins at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. GMT) and Saturday's televised "reveal show" starts exactly 24 hours afterward.

A FIFA statement explained: "During the live broadcast, the venues and kick-off times for all 104 matches will be confirmed. The broadcast will be carried live across FIFA platforms, including FIFA.com and FIFA's YouTube channel, ensuring that fans across the globe can follow the announcements in real time. A live broadcast feed will also be made available to broadcasters worldwide.

"The match allocation process that follows the draw aims to ensure the best possible conditions for all teams and spectators while, where possible, enabling fans all over the world to watch their teams play live across different time zones. The final version of the match schedule will be available in March, once the FIFA and European play-offs have taken place and the final six slots have been filled."

It's anticipated that matches featuring European, African and Asian teams will, when feasible, kick off earlier in North America and preferably on the East Coast to accommodate time zone differences and provide a better viewing experience for supporters.

Conversely, matches featuring teams from the Americas are expected to kick off later, though this won't always be achievable.

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