ZURICH: The FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on June 11, 2026, and will be the largest World Cup in history, with 48 teams participating.
This global event is being held jointly by 3 countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for the first time.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on June 11, 2026, with the opening match usually being played late at night or around midnight Pakistani time, as the matches will be played in different time zones in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
It’s done. Finally.
▪️ Are any top seeds in trouble?
▪️ Is there a Group of Death?
▪️ Which minnow is best placed to spring a surprise?
▪️ Which group are you most looking forward to?All the reaction: https://t.co/jjLw1sLq8m pic.twitter.com/QctpbjF2Sy
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 5, 2025
Most matches will be broadcast in Pakistan between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., while some matches will also be played in the evening or early hours of the night.
The group stage will last from June 11 to around June 27, during which several matches will be played daily. In this stage, 48 teams will be divided into different groups and try to qualify for the next stage.
FIFA Matches Broadcast on Pakistani Time
For Pakistani fans, the matches in this stage will mostly be broadcast in the late night and early morning hours.
The knockout stage (Round of 32 and Round of 16) will be played from approximately June 28 to July 7. After this, the quarterfinals will be held between July 9 and 11, while the semifinals are scheduled for July 14 and 15.
These important matches will also mostly be played at night or early morning hours in Pakistan. The third-place match will be played on July 18, while the final will be played on July 19, 2026.
The final match is likely to start at night or around midnight according to Pakistani time, which will be watched with great interest in Pakistan as well as by fans around the world.
It should be noted that FIFA has not yet released the exact kick-off times (with hours and minutes) for all matches of the 2026 World Cup, so for now, we can only estimate based on time zones, but most matches will be available in Pakistan between 9 pm and 6 am.
