⚽ World Cup 2026 Full Match Schedule in Damascus Time (Syria)
World Cup 2026 schedule in Damascus time: all 72 group matches, every Arab-team fixture, prime-time picks and the July 19 final. Updated twice weekly.
Tags: كأس العالم 2026, توقيت دمشق, جدول المباريات, مونديال 2026, سوريا
The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico: 48 teams, 104 matches. The opener, Mexico vs South Africa, kicks off Thursday, June 11 at 22:00 Damascus time, and the final is on Sunday, July 19 at MetLife Stadium near New York. The full schedule converted to Damascus time is below.
Last updated: June 11, 2026. This page is refreshed twice a week throughout the tournament, and knockout kickoff times are added as soon as they are confirmed.
How Damascus time works for this World Cup
Syria has stayed on UTC+3 all year round since dropping daylight saving in 2022, which makes Damascus time identical to Mecca and Doha time. World Cup 2026 matches are played across four North American time zones, so kickoffs land at very different hours of the Damascus day, from comfortable evenings to brutal pre-dawn slots. The conversion rule is simple: add the offset for the host region shown in the comparison table below.
| Host region | Damascus is ahead by | A 15:00 local kickoff becomes |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern (New York, Toronto, Miami) | 7 hours | 22:00 Damascus |
| Central (Dallas, Houston, Kansas City) | 8 hours | 23:00 Damascus |
| Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey | 9 hours | 00:00 Damascus |
| Pacific (Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver) | 10 hours | 01:00 Damascus |
Because Damascus time equals Mecca and Doha time, any schedule published in Saudi or Qatari time applies to Syria unchanged.
Full group-stage schedule in Damascus time
The group stage packs 72 matches into 12 groups (A to L), running from the evening of June 11 to the early hours of June 28 Damascus time. One important reading note: the dates below are the actual Damascus calendar date at kickoff, so a match listed at 01:00 on a Sunday is played on the Saturday-to-Sunday night. As of June 2026, these are the complete officially announced times.
Week one: June 11-17
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun 11 | 22:00 | Mexico vs South Africa (opener) |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 05:00 | South Korea vs Czechia |
| Fri, Jun 12 | 22:00 | Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 04:00 | United States vs Paraguay |
| Sat, Jun 13 | 22:00 | Qatar vs Switzerland |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 01:00 | Brazil vs Morocco |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 04:00 | Haiti vs Scotland |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 07:00 | Australia vs Turkey |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 20:00 | Germany vs Curacao |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 23:00 | Netherlands vs Japan |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 02:00 | Ivory Coast vs Ecuador |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 05:00 | Sweden vs Tunisia |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 19:00 | Spain vs Cape Verde |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 22:00 | Belgium vs Egypt |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 01:00 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 04:00 | Iran vs New Zealand |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 22:00 | France vs Senegal |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 01:00 | Iraq vs Norway |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 04:00 | Argentina vs Algeria |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 07:00 | Austria vs Jordan |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 20:00 | Portugal vs DR Congo |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 23:00 | England vs Croatia |
Week two: June 18-23
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jun 18 | 02:00 | Ghana vs Panama |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 05:00 | Uzbekistan vs Colombia |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 19:00 | Czechia vs South Africa |
| Thu, Jun 18 | 22:00 | Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 01:00 | Canada vs Qatar |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 04:00 | Mexico vs South Korea |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 22:00 | United States vs Australia |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 01:00 | Scotland vs Morocco |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 03:30 | Brazil vs Haiti |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 06:00 | Turkey vs Paraguay |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 20:00 | Netherlands vs Sweden |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 23:00 | Germany vs Ivory Coast |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 03:00 | Ecuador vs Curacao |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 07:00 | Tunisia vs Japan |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 19:00 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 22:00 | Belgium vs Iran |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 01:00 | Uruguay vs Cape Verde |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 04:00 | New Zealand vs Egypt |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 20:00 | Argentina vs Austria |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 00:00 | France vs Iraq |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 03:00 | Norway vs Senegal |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 06:00 | Jordan vs Algeria |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 20:00 | Portugal vs Uzbekistan |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 23:00 | England vs Ghana |
Week three: June 24-28
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jun 24 | 02:00 | Panama vs Croatia |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 05:00 | Colombia vs DR Congo |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 22:00 | Switzerland vs Canada |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 22:00 | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 01:00 | Morocco vs Haiti |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 01:00 | Scotland vs Brazil |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 04:00 | South Africa vs South Korea |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 04:00 | Czechia vs Mexico |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 23:00 | Curacao vs Ivory Coast |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 23:00 | Ecuador vs Germany |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 02:00 | Tunisia vs Netherlands |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 02:00 | Japan vs Sweden |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 05:00 | Turkey vs United States |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 05:00 | Paraguay vs Australia |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 22:00 | Norway vs France |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 22:00 | Senegal vs Iraq |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 03:00 | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 03:00 | Uruguay vs Spain |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 06:00 | New Zealand vs Belgium |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 06:00 | Egypt vs Iran |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 00:00 | Panama vs England |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 00:00 | Croatia vs Ghana |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 02:30 | Colombia vs Portugal |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 02:30 | DR Congo vs Uzbekistan |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 05:00 | Algeria vs Austria |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 05:00 | Jordan vs Argentina |
Times above follow the official schedules announced as of June 11, 2026. Organisers and broadcasters occasionally adjust kickoffs, so double-check a few hours before any match; every confirmed change will be updated here.
All eight Arab teams' fixtures in Damascus time
This is a record World Cup for Arab football: eight teams qualified. Saudi Arabia (Group H), Morocco (C), Egypt (G), Tunisia (F), Algeria and Jordan drawn together in Group J, Qatar (B), and Iraq (I), back after a 40-year absence. They play 24 group fixtures in total, including the Jordan vs Algeria derby that counts for both. For the full story of each team's group and chances, see the Arab teams at World Cup 2026 guide.
| Date | Time | Match | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jun 13 | 22:00 | Qatar vs Switzerland | B |
| Sun, Jun 14 | 01:00 | Brazil vs Morocco | C |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 05:00 | Sweden vs Tunisia | F |
| Mon, Jun 15 | 22:00 | Belgium vs Egypt | G |
| Tue, Jun 16 | 01:00 | Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay | H |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 01:00 | Iraq vs Norway | I |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 04:00 | Argentina vs Algeria | J |
| Wed, Jun 17 | 07:00 | Austria vs Jordan | J |
| Fri, Jun 19 | 01:00 | Canada vs Qatar | B |
| Sat, Jun 20 | 01:00 | Scotland vs Morocco | C |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 07:00 | Tunisia vs Japan | F |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 19:00 | Spain vs Saudi Arabia | H |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 04:00 | New Zealand vs Egypt | G |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 00:00 | France vs Iraq | I |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 06:00 | Jordan vs Algeria (the Arab derby) | J |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 22:00 | Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar | B |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 01:00 | Morocco vs Haiti | C |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 02:00 | Tunisia vs Netherlands | F |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 22:00 | Senegal vs Iraq | I |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 03:00 | Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | H |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 06:00 | Egypt vs Iran | G |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 05:00 | Algeria vs Austria | J |
| Sun, Jun 28 | 05:00 | Jordan vs Argentina | J |
Why most matches kick off after midnight in Syria
Most World Cup matches are scheduled for afternoon and evening slots in North American local time, which suits stadium crowds and peak TV hours there. Add 7 to 10 hours for Damascus and the bulk of the tournament slides into the window between midnight and 07:00. The numbers are blunt: only 5 of the 24 Arab-team fixtures land in the comfortable 19:00-22:00 evening window, and the rest are late-night or dawn affairs, including the Jordan vs Algeria derby at 06:00. Viewers in Syria need a plan: pick the matches genuinely worth staying up for from the tables above, and settle for morning highlights on the rest, especially on work days.
Before committing to a dawn kickoff, check the iCashy AI match predictions the evening before. If the model sees a one-sided game, sleep wins; if it is genuinely close, prepare the coffee.
The prime-time shortlist
Matches kicking off between 19:00 and 23:00 Damascus time are rare enough to plan an evening around. The highlights:
- Thu, Jun 11, 22:00: Mexico vs South Africa, the opener.
- Sat, Jun 13, 22:00: Qatar vs Switzerland, the first Arab match of the tournament.
- Mon, Jun 15, 19:00 then 22:00: Spain vs Cape Verde, followed by Belgium vs Egypt.
- Tue, Jun 16, 22:00: France vs Senegal, the Group I heavyweight clash before Iraq enters the picture.
- Wed, Jun 17, 23:00: England vs Croatia.
- Sun, Jun 21, 19:00: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, the only marquee Arab fixture in a comfortable evening slot.
- Tue, Jun 23, 20:00 then 23:00: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, followed by England vs Ghana.
- Fri, Jun 26, 22:00: Norway vs France and Senegal vs Iraq simultaneously, Group I decision night.
Stick to Damascus evenings only and you still get the opening match, several European heavyweight ties and at least two Arab fixtures without losing a single night of sleep.
Knockout rounds and the July 19 final
For the first time, 32 teams advance to the knockout phase: the top two from each of the 12 groups plus the 8 best third-placed sides. The 48-team format guide explains exactly how the best-third ranking is calculated, with worked examples. The round of 32 starts on June 28, and the knockout phase runs for three weeks up to the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey near New York, preceded by the third-place match. Exact knockout kickoff times in Damascus time are confirmed progressively as qualifiers and venues are settled; we will add them to this page as soon as they are official rather than guess them.
Follow every match with iCashy predictions
Every fixture in the tables above has a story before kickoff: who holds the edge, where the weaknesses are, and which scenario is most likely. iCashy publishes AI-powered match predictions for World Cup games, analysing team form, head-to-head history and player numbers before the whistle. For the bigger picture, read who wins World Cup 2026: predictions and favourites' odds, the group-stage favourites analysis and the complete AI football predictions guide. If you follow World Cup betting on the external iChancy platform, the World Cup 2026 betting via iChancy guide covers the markets and how Syrians deposit in SYP through a direct account from iCashy. And remember: no prediction is guaranteed and no profit is certain; watch consciously and stay within your budget.
FAQ
When does World Cup 2026 start, and with which match in Damascus time?
The tournament opens on Thursday, June 11, 2026 with Mexico vs South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, kicking off at 22:00 Damascus time.
When and where is the World Cup 2026 final?
The final is on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, near New York. Published schedules point to an evening kickoff in Damascus time; the exact time will be confirmed here once official.
How many Arab-team matches fall in a convenient evening slot for Syria?
Only 5 of the 24 Arab group-stage fixtures kick off between 19:00 and 22:00 Damascus time, headlined by Spain vs Saudi Arabia on Sunday, June 21 at 19:00. The rest are played between midnight and 07:00.
How do I convert any match time to Damascus time myself?
Add 7 hours to US Eastern time, 8 to Central, 9 to Mexico City and 10 to Pacific. Any schedule published in Mecca or Doha time matches Damascus time exactly.
Where can I watch World Cup 2026 matches for free in Syria?
beIN SPORTS airs around 40 matches free on its open channels, and other free-to-air satellite options reach Syria. Full details and frequencies are in the free World Cup channels in Syria guide.
Do third-placed teams advance to the round of 32?
Yes. The 8 best third-placed teams across the 12 groups advance alongside the group winners and runners-up. The tie-break criteria are explained in the tournament format guide.