WM 2026 Spielplan in österreichischer Zeit: Alle 104 Spiele & Anstoßzeiten (MESZ)

Time zones at a glance

The 2026 World Cup is here — 104 matches, 48 teams, three host countries. The only question you care about before kick-off: when does it start for me?

North America is six to nine hours behind Central Europe depending on venue. Some matches run in the evening — perfect for the couch or a group watch. Others start in the middle of the night. And then there's the kind that requires a 6 AM alarm.

Matches are played in 16 stadiums across the US, Canada and Mexico — four time zones:

• Eastern Time (EDT, UTC−4): New York/NJ, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto — CEST −6 hours
• Central Time (CDT, UTC−5): Dallas, Houston, Kansas City — CEST −7 hours
• Mexico (UTC−6, no DST): Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara — CEST −8 hours
• Pacific Time (PDT, UTC−7): LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver — CEST −9 hours

Earliest kick-off in CEST: 18:00 (noon Eastern). Latest: 06:00 in the morning (evening kick-offs on the West Coast or Mexico).

Opening match

Thursday June 11, 2026 — 21:00 CEST. Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca Mexico City.

Austria: coffee at four

• Wednesday June 17 — 06:00 CEST ⏰ — Austria vs Jordan (San Francisco)
• Monday June 22 — 19:00 CEST 🇦🇹 — Austria vs Argentina (Dallas) — the civilised slot
• Saturday June 27 — 04:00 CEST ⏰ — Austria vs Algeria (Kansas City)

The Argentina match on Monday at 19:00 is the only fan-night-friendly slot. The other two need caffeine.

Knockout phase

• Round of 32: June 28 – July 1
• Round of 16: July 4–7
• Quarter-finals: July 9–12
• Semi-finals: July 14–15 (both 21:00 CEST)
• Third-place: July 18
• Final: Sunday July 19, 2026 — 21:00 CEST — MetLife Stadium, New York/NJ

How many hours behind is the World Cup 2026?

Between 6 and 9 hours depending on the venue. New York is 6 hours behind Central Europe (CEST), LA and Vancouver 9, Mexico City 8.

When is the first World Cup 2026 match in Austrian/German time?

The opening match Mexico – South Africa kicks off on June 11 at 21:00 CEST.

When is the 2026 World Cup final in European time?

The final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium kicks off at 21:00 CEST.

When does Austria play at the 2026 World Cup?

June 17 (06:00 CEST), June 22 (19:00 CEST), June 27 (04:00 CEST).