Scheduling fixtures at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is proving a difficult task, especially for broadcasters, due to the various climate challenges posed by the tournament's host nations - United States, Canada and Mexico.
The World Cup takes place throughout June and July next year with four matches to be played on most days during the group stage at the inaugural 48-team Finals.
Due to scheduling, up to 65 games - the majority of which during the group stage - will reportedly kick-off after midnight for UK viewers, as FIFA aim to tackle the issues that arose during this past summer's Club World Cup.
England games to kick-off AFTER midnight at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Teams complained about heat and humidity at the competition which was hosted in the United States, while several matches were delayed due to thunder and lightning, which could wreak havoc with broadcasters' schedules.
According to a report in the Telegraph, the possibility of hosting matches at stadiums with retractable roofs during midday and early afternoon kick-off time slots has been discussed.
- United States (11 host cities)
- Atlanta: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Boston: Gillette Stadium (in Foxborough, Massachusetts)
- Dallas: AT&T Stadium (in Arlington, Texas)
- Houston: NRG Stadium
- Kansas City: Arrowhead Stadium
- Los Angeles: SoFi Stadium (in Inglewood, California)
- Miami: Hard Rock Stadium (in Miami Gardens, Florida)
- New York/New Jersey: MetLife Stadium (in East Rutherford, New Jersey)
- Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field
- San Francisco Bay Area: Levi's Stadium (in Santa Clara, California)
- Seattle: Lumen Field
- Mexico (3 host cities)
- Guadalajara: Estadio Akron
- Mexico City: Estadio Azteca
- Monterrey: Estadio BBVA
- Canada (2 host cities)
- Toronto: BMO Field
- Vancouver: BC Place
However, not all teams will benefit from the luxury of air-conditioned stadiums and protection from the elements, not least because half of the tournament's knockout fixtures are to be played at grounds which do not have roofs.
For this reason, some matches will inevitably need to be played in the evening and due to the time difference between North America and Western Europe, could see games featuring the likes of England, France, Spain and Germany kicking off in the small hours of the morning.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, only one fixture - Japan vs Ivory Coast - kicked off after midnight due to a four-game fixture schedule that day which meant the only available kick-off slot was 22:00 BRT (Brasilia Time). That tournament featured 16 fewer teams than next summer's festival of football and took place in a time zone closer to BST (British Summer Time), too.
In the United States, Mexico and Canada, the 2026 World Cup will operate across three time zones. For example, the UK is five hours ahead of New York City on the east coast and eight ahead of Los Angeles on the west coast.
- Western Region (Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles)
- Central Region (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City)
- Eastern Region (Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey)
Temperatures at the 2026 Finals could reach 39C during daytime fixtures, which was observed at the Club World Cup. Certain host cities are also projected to be hotter than Qatar during the winter World Cup in 2022.
England are expected to officially book their place at the tournament this month, if they defeat Latvia on October 11 and other results go their way.
