LOS ANGELES -- The draw has been made. The schedule is set. And with just over six months to go, Los Angeles finally knows which teams it will be hosting for the 2026 World Cup next June. Well, mostly.
After a drawn out, two-day affair at The Kennedy Center in our nation’s capital, FIFA has officially announced the World Cup schedule. And with five group games to be held at SoFi Stadium (officially to be renamed ‘Los Angeles Stadium’ for the duration of the tournament) the schedule for those games is as follows:
- June 12th, 6PM (PT) - USMNT vs Paraguay
- June 15th, 6PM (PT) - Iran vs New Zealand
- June 18th, 12PM (PT) - Switzerland vs UEFA Playoff Path A Winner
- June 21st, 12PM (PT) - Belgium vs Iran
- June 25th, 7PM (PT) - UEFA Playoff Path C Winner vs USMNT
For many, the US games will be the marquee fixtures, kicking off the World Cup for both Los Angeles and the national team alike on June 12th , against Paraguay.
While the last of the group stage games also includes the USMNT, their opponents won’t be known until March, after the UEFA playoffs. Nonetheless, there’s a possibility the Americans could face Türkiye in that matchup. If so, it would not only make every team in the USMNT’s group a recent opponent in international friendlies, but it would likely turn that fixture into their most high-stakes game of the group stage.
The other unknown is who will be playing Switzerland on June 18th. Despite their recent struggles in World Cup qualifying, the most likely winner of that UEFA pathway is four-time champions Italy. Should the Italians manage to return to the biggest stage, a showdown against the Swiss would make this a must-see game.
Still, perhaps the biggest standout fixture for neutrals is Belgium vs Iran, on June 21st. While Belgium’s golden generation is past their prime, they are nonetheless ranked 8th in the world and, on paper, will be firm favorites against the Iranians. But with Southern California home to the largest Iranian diaspora in the world, both of their SoFi fixtures are likely to feel like home games for Team Melli, making an upset against Belgium a real possibility.
Beyond the group stage, two round of 32 games - June 28th at 12PM (PT), July 2nd at 12P (PT) - and a quarterfinal game on July 10th (also at 12PM local time) will round out Los Angeles’ World Cup.
While unknowns remain, Los Angeles’ World Cup schedule is shaping up to be as memorable as soccer fans had hoped. And if results go the way they could, then 2026 will likely prove unforgettable.