The world cup 2026 quarterfinals schedule is locked in, and the last eight will battle it out across three days from July 9 to July 11. Every quarterfinal is played on American soil, with Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kansas City hosting the matches that decide the semifinal field. This guide covers every confirmed date, kickoff time in Eastern Time, venue, and the TV channels carrying each game in the USA.
World Cup 2026 Quarterfinals Schedule at a Glance
FIFA confirmed the dates, venues, and kickoff times long before the bracket filled in. The teams are decided by the Round of 16, which runs July 4 to July 7, so all eight quarterfinalists are known by the night of July 7. Here is the full slate.
| Match | Date | Kickoff (ET) | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal 1 (Match 97) | Thursday, July 9 | 4:00 PM | Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA |
| Quarterfinal 2 (Match 98) | Friday, July 10 | 3:00 PM | SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA |
| Quarterfinal 3 (Match 99) | Saturday, July 11 | 5:00 PM | Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, FL |
| Quarterfinal 4 (Match 100) | Saturday, July 11 | 9:00 PM | Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO |
Note that FIFA replaces commercial stadium names during the tournament, so you will see these venues listed as Boston Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium, Miami Stadium, and Kansas City Stadium on official broadcasts and tickets.
What TV Channels Show the Quarterfinals in the USA?
Every knockout match from the Round of 16 onward airs on FOX in English, which means all four quarterfinals are on free network television if you have an antenna or any cable or live TV package. Cord cutters can stream the matches live on the Fox One app or through live TV services such as YouTube TV, Fubo, DirecTV, and Sling.
Spanish language coverage of every quarterfinal is on Telemundo, with streaming available on Peacock. For a complete breakdown of every free and paid option, see our full guide on how to watch the 2026 World Cup knockout rounds in the USA.
How the Quarterfinal Bracket Works
The expanded 48-team tournament added a Round of 32 to the knockout phase, but by the quarterfinal stage the format looks familiar. Each quarterfinal is tied to a specific pair of Round of 16 winners, so the route through the bracket is fixed even before the names are filled in. The winners of Match 97 and Match 98 meet in the first semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on July 14, while the winners of Match 99 and Match 100 advance to the second semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on July 15.
Quarterfinals are single elimination. If the score is level after 90 minutes, the teams play 30 minutes of extra time, and a penalty shootout decides it if they are still tied. We break down exactly how that works in our explainer on World Cup extra time and penalty rules.
Why This Round Is Different in 2026
For the first time in this tournament, every match is played in the United States. Mexico and Canada hosted group stage and early knockout games, but from the quarterfinals onward the World Cup becomes an American event, ending with the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. Our World Cup final fan guide has everything you need to know about the championship match.
The four quarterfinal venues are all NFL stadiums. Gillette Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium each hold roughly 65,000 fans, SoFi Stadium around 70,000, and Arrowhead Stadium, famous as one of the loudest venues in world sport, is the largest of the four. The Saturday double-header in Miami and Kansas City gives American fans a full day of win-or-go-home soccer in prime viewing windows.
Key Dates After the Quarterfinals
Once the world cup 2026 quarterfinals schedule wraps on July 11, the road to the trophy is short. The semifinals are July 14 in Arlington and July 15 in Atlanta, both at 3:00 PM ET. The third-place match is July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens at 5:00 PM ET, and the final kicks off July 19 at 3:00 PM ET at MetLife Stadium. Full tournament information, brackets, and official updates are available at FIFA.com.
Bookmark this page, because once the Round of 16 concludes on July 7 the matchups slot straight into the schedule above with no changes to dates, venues, or kickoff times.
Quarterfinal Questions, Answered
Are all the quarterfinal teams confirmed yet?
The eight quarterfinalists are locked in once the Round of 16 concludes on July 7. The dates, venues, and kickoff times above are fixed by FIFA and will not change; only the team names slot in. Each quarterfinal is tied to a specific pair of Round of 16 matches, so as soon as those games finish, you know exactly where each winner is headed and when they play next.
Can I still get tickets to a quarterfinal?
Official tickets are sold through FIFA’s platform, and quarterfinal seats are among the most expensive of the tournament, though generally cheaper in Kansas City and Boston than in Los Angeles. FIFA also runs an official resale marketplace where fans can relist seats before kickoff, which is the only safe secondary channel since tickets are digitally tied to the buyer’s identity.
Which quarterfinal has the best TV window for US fans?
The Saturday night match at Arrowhead Stadium is the showcase slot, kicking off at 9:00 PM ET in prime time on the East Coast and 6:00 PM on the West Coast. The Saturday double-header, with Miami at 5:00 PM ET followed by Kansas City at 9:00 PM ET, gives American fans a full evening of knockout soccer without overlapping kickoffs, a deliberate scheduling choice for the domestic audience.
What is the weather like for the quarterfinals?
Expect classic American July: heat and humidity in Miami and Kansas City, milder evenings in Foxborough, and dry warmth in Los Angeles, where SoFi’s translucent canopy shades the field. Hydration breaks in each half have been standard at this tournament for the hottest kickoffs, so build a few extra minutes into your viewing plans.
