Houston will host five Group Stage games beginning in mid-June. We’ll also host a Round of 32 game and a Round of 16 game.
HOUSTON — We now know which teams will play in Houston for the 2026 World Cup, which will begin in less than 200 days.
On Friday, the draw ceremony for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The match schedule was released on Saturday and Houston landed three European giants.
The biggest news: Cristiano Ronaldo will play twice in Houston as Portugal takes on the FIFA Playoff 1 spot and Uzbekistan. This will be Ronaldo’s last chance to win a World Cup.
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Houston matches
Houston will host seven games — five in the group stage, one in the Round of 32 and one in the Round of 16.
The first game at Houston Stadium will be held on June 14 and the last game played in Houston will be held on July 4.
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Group stage matches
Sunday, June 14 – Match 10 – Group E – Germany (9) vs. Curaçao (82)Wednesday, June 17 – Match 23 – Group K – Portugal (6) vs. FIFA Playoff 1 (Jamaica/New Caledonia/Democratic Republic of the Congo)Saturday, June 20 – Match 35 – Group F – Netherlands (7) vs. UEFA Playoff B (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania)Tuesday, June 23 – Match 47 – Group K – Portugal (6) vs. Uzbekistan (50)Friday, June 26 – Match 65 – Group H – Cabo Verde (68) vs. Saudi Arabia (60)
Round of 32
Monday, June 29 – 1C vs. 2F
Round of 16
Saturday, July 4 – Winner of Match 73 vs. winner of Match 75
Group draw results (world ranking)
Group A
A1: Mexico (15)A2: South Africa (61)A3: South Korea (22)A4: UEFA Playoff D
Group B
B1: Canada (27)B2: UEFA Playoff AB3: Qatar (51)B4: Switzerland (17)
Group C
C1: Brazil (5)C2: Morocco (11)C3: Haiti (84)C4: Scotland (36)
Group D
D1: United States (14)D2: Paraguay (39)D3: Australia (26)D4: UEFA Playoff C
Group E
E1: Germany (9)E2: Curaçao (82)E3: Ivory Coast (42)E4: Ecuador (23)
Group F
F1: Netherlands (7)F2: Japan (18)F3: UEFA Playoff BF4: Tunisia (40)
Group G
G1: Belgium (8)G2: Egypt (34)G3: Iran (20)G4: New Zealand (86)
Group H
H1: Spain (1)H2: Cape Verde (68)H3: Saudi Arabia (60)H4: Uruguay (16)
Group I
I1: France (3)I2: Senegal (19)I3: FIFA Playoff 2I4: Norway (29)
Group J
J1: Argentina (2)J2: Algeria (35)J3: Austria (24)J4: Jordan (66)
Group K
K1: Portugal (6)K2: FIFA Playoff 1K3: Uzbekistan (50)K4: Colombia (13)
Group L
L1: England (4)L2: Croatia (10)L3: Ghana (72)L4: Panama (30)
Six of the balls in Pot 4 do not correspond with any specific country. That’s because six spots at the World Cup won’t be determined until March. Four European teams will qualify via the UEFA playoffs, and the additional two FIFA playoffs will include teams from all over the world.
Highlights from qualifying
Aside from the three hosts, which qualified automatically, Japan was the first team to wrap up a spot, doing so in March.
Four countries are set to make their World Cup debuts: Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. That number could increase when the final six teams earn spots in March’s playoffs.
Already, 16 teams have qualified that weren’t part of the World Cup in 2022. Haiti is in for the first time since 1974.
Ivory Coast, England and Tunisia qualified without allowing a goal.
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