England’s 2026 World Cup dates revealed as fans brace for extreme kick-off times

December 9, 2025 Oliver Obel

A clearer picture of England’s route through next year’s World Cup emerged after Friday’s draw in the United States, offering supporters early insight into kick-off times, travel demands and the potential complications that could come later in the tournament. The expanded competition, staged across the USA, Canada and Mexico, is now just six months away.

Supporters now know when and where the Three Lions will begin their campaign, as well as the headline fixtures defining Group L.

Group rivals named

England were placed alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana — a combination of long-standing rivals and opponents they last met in the 2018 World Cup. Croatia await first, renewing a fixture that still carries memories of their semi-final clash six years ago.

UK outlets also reported that Ghana’s squad is expected to feature Premier League regulars including Mohammed Kudus and Antoine Semenyo. England then close the group against Panama, another repeat of a 2018 encounter.

All three fixtures fall within a tight mid-June to late-June window as the expanded 48-team tournament gets underway across North America.

Dates, late kick-offs and future scheduling headaches

The official schedule confirms England’s opener against Croatia for Wednesday, June 17, at 9pm UK time. They return at the same hour on Tuesday, June 23, for the meeting with Ghana. Panama follow on Saturday, June 27, in a 10pm UK-time start.

The wider tournament timetable spans from early evening UK times to the far less forgiving 5am slots, assigned to other fixtures. Online reaction was mixed, with one user on X complaining: “There’s a 5am World Cup match. The game has gone.” Another wrote: “Well the World Cup kick off times are disappointing.”

However, a separate set of scheduling scenarios means England fans may face even tougher hours if the team progress. Several UK media reports noted that:

If England top Group L, their Round of 32 match in Atlanta is scheduled for 5pm BST — still manageable for many supporters.
But should they advance to the Round of 16 in the same pathway, the kickoff is slated for 1am BST, creating a potentially brutal overnight viewing window.
In that situation, the most likely opponent would be co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium.

The time-zone challenges extend across the Home Nations. Scotland, for example, face a far more awkward group schedule with games reportedly set for 2am and 11pm BST.

Stadium stops

England’s group-stage journey begins in Dallas at AT&T Stadium, before shifting northeast to Boston’s Gillette Stadium for the clash with Ghana. Their final Group L outing takes place at the MetLife Stadium in the New York/New Jersey region.

Thomas Tuchel, among several high-profile managers attending the draw ceremony in Washington, was present as teams learned their paths.

Wider tournament picture

The draw also outlined the remaining pools, with Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Spain, France and Argentina headlining groups across the bracket. Several European playoff spots also remain unfilled, leaving some uncertainty around the final lineup.

The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, beginning with an extended group stage through June 27 before knockout rounds proceed from the Round of 32 to the final in mid-July.

Late-stage fixtures will be easier for UK viewers: Dallas hosts the first semi-final on July 14 (7pm GMT), Atlanta stages the second on July 15 (8pm GMT), and the final takes place at MetLife Stadium on July 19 (8pm GMT).

Sources: BBC, Sky Sports, Reuters