World Cup matchups: Start times for every match, how to watch and game previews
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, with Mexico defeating South Africa and South Korea prevailing over Czechia in Group A play Thursday.
The tournament headed north Friday, with Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina playing to a 1-1 draw in Toronto before the United States opened Group D play with a 4-1 win over Paraguay.
Here’s everything you need to know about matches being played on Friday and Saturday in the 48-team tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s matchups:
Qatar vs. Switzerland
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Time: noon
TV | Streaming: Fox, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Qatar made its World Cup debut four years ago and became the first host to exit the tournament without a point, losing all three group-play games by two goals each. The team has improved dramatically since then, beating Mexico to reach the quarterfinals of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. But its World Cup preparations were disrupted by war in the Middle East, which forced the cancellation of scheduled friendlies with Serbia and Argentina. As a result, the team has played just twice in the last seven months and hasn’t scored a goal since last December.
Switzerland, meanwhile, is ranked in the top 20 in the world by FIFA, has lost just twice — to No. 2 Spain and No. 10 Germany — in its past 17 tries and made the quarterfinals of the past two Euros.
Brazil vs. Morocco
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Time: 3 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Group C gets off to a compelling start with sixth-ranked Brazil, the tournament’s only five-time champion, facing No. 7 Morocco, the surprise team of 2022. And both come in hot: Morocco has lost just one of its past 45 games, dating to January 2024, while Brazil has beaten World Cup qualifiers Egypt, Panama, Croatia, Senegal, South Korea, Paraguay, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico over the past 24 months.
Barring a major stumble, both will make it out of group play but this game will likely determine which will go through as a group champion, giving it a much easier path through the knockout rounds.
Haiti vs. Scotland
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 6 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Though lacking the sizzle of Brazil-Morocco, Group C’s other first-day matchup is no less important. With eight third-place teams advancing out of group play, a win here would give either Scotland or Haiti a solid shot at going through while a draw could doom both.
Haiti, participating in the World Cup for just the second time — and the first time since 1974 — hasn’t played at home in five years because of violence and instability in Haiti. But it thumped New Zealand 4-0 in one of its final World Cup tuneups and lost to three other World Cup qualifiers — the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Tunisia — by just a goal in the past year. All but three of the players on Haiti’s roster play for first- or second-division teams in Europe or the U.S.
Scotland had an easier time in qualifying and won its past two World Cup tuneups, beating Curacao and Bolivia by a combined score of 8-1. Its top player is Liverpool defender Andy Robertson but its oldest is goalkeeper Craig Gordon, at 43 the most senior player in the tournament.
Australia vs. Turkey
Where: BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Time: 9 p.m.
TV | Streaming: FS1, Telemundo | Fox One, Peacock
The buzz: Turkey could be one of the surprise teams in the tournament after qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 with a pair of 1-0 wins over Romania and Kosovo. Turkey has risen five spots, to No. 22, in the FIFA world rankings in the past ninth months, its best showing in a decade. And in the last year it has beaten the U.S. and tied No. 2 Spain. Its best player is Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, Turkey’s active leader in caps and goals.
Australia had its best-ever World Cup four years ago in Qatar, winning twice and advancing to the round of 16 for the first time since 2006. But it has struggled of late, losing four of its past six games to fellow World Cup qualifiers.
