The Matches
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off with an opening match in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca (North America’s most famous soccer venue), with the final World Cup game being held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Philadelphia hosts six World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field from June 14 to July 4, 2026, five in the group stage and one in the knockout stage (think: the playoffs).
Philly’s group stage games, where qualified teams initially compete against other countries in their semi-randomly assigned groups, take place at the Linc on the following dates:
- Sunday, June 14, 2026
- Friday, June 19, 2026
- Monday, June 22, 2026
- Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Saturday, June 27, 2026
The top two teams from each group then move into the single-elimination knockout stage, which is a bracket made up of the round of 32, the round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the World Cup Final.
Philadelphia hosts one of the round of 16 knockout matches — featuring a high-stakes game between two of the world’s top 16 soccer teams — on Saturday, July 4th, 2026, one of Philly’s biggest holidays and America’s Semiquincentennial.
