GENEVA, March 15 – The date for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final has been set after new international match schedules were approved by the FIFA Council on Tuesday.
In line with the 2025-2030 men’s international match schedule, a four-match window of 16 days will be introduced in late September/early October 2026, as well as a two-match window of nine days each in March, June and November. The final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played on July 19, 2026.
The FIFA Council met ahead of the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, and took several key decisions, particularly regarding the future of the men’s and women’s competitions.
He unanimously approved the format change for the 2026 FIFA World Cup from 16 groups of three to 12 groups of four, with the top two and eight third-best teams advancing to the round of 32.
The 2024-2025 women’s international match schedule will contain six international windows per year. The women’s soccer tournament of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be played from July 25 to August 10.
The FIFA Council also approved the establishment of a working group dedicated to player welfare and other decisions.
