FIFA World Cup 2026 in IST
World Cup 2026 Schedule in India
The 2026 World Cup is the first major tournament held entirely outside India-friendly hours since 1994. Matches will run from mid-evening to early morning IST, with the final on July 20 starting at 12:30 AM IST. The opener (Mexico vs South Africa) kicks off at 8:30 PM IST on June 11, the most-watchable fixture of the entire tournament for Indian viewers.
Sony Pictures Networks India holds the broadcast rights. Matches air on the Sony Sports family of channels with English and regional-language commentary, and stream on JioCinema. India will field no team at the tournament (qualifying ended in the third round), but cross-Atlantic time zones mean every fixture is watchable for night-owl fans willing to stay up.
All times converted from venue local time to IST. East-coast venues (New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami) and Mexico City venues produce the most India-friendly kickoff windows. West-coast venues (Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver) push into the early-morning IST window. Plan your viewing around the 9:30 PM IST slot when possible.
Kickoff windows in IST
Most World Cup 2026 matches kick off in one of four standard windows. Use this as your at-a-glance reference.
Download the India schedule PDF
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Every match, IST time
All 104 matches in chronological order by your local viewing date. Times shown are venue kickoff converted to IST.
Thursday, June 11
Friday, June 12
Saturday, June 13
Sunday, June 14
Monday, June 15
Tuesday, June 16
Wednesday, June 17
Thursday, June 18
Friday, June 19
Saturday, June 20
Sunday, June 21
Monday, June 22
Tuesday, June 23
Wednesday, June 24
Thursday, June 25
Friday, June 26
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28
Monday, June 29
Tuesday, June 30
Wednesday, July 1
Thursday, July 2
Friday, July 3
Saturday, July 4
Sunday, July 5
Monday, July 6
Tuesday, July 7
Wednesday, July 8
Friday, July 10
Saturday, July 11
Sunday, July 12
Wednesday, July 15
Thursday, July 16
Sunday, July 19
Frequently asked questions
What time does the FIFA World Cup 2026 final start in India?
The final is on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is 3:00 PM ET, which is 12:30 AM IST on Monday, July 20. The match runs to approximately 2:30 AM IST, with extra time and penalties potentially extending it past 3:30 AM IST.
Where can I watch World Cup 2026 in India?
Sony Sports Network holds TV rights. JioCinema is the official streaming platform. Sony LIV provides a premium streaming option with multi-language commentary.
What is the IST time for World Cup 2026 matches?
India Standard Time is 9.5 hours ahead of US Eastern Time. A 12:00 PM ET kickoff is 9:30 PM IST. A 3:00 PM ET kickoff is 12:30 AM IST the next day. Most India-friendly fixtures kick off at 9:30 PM IST.
Is there an India-friendly World Cup 2026 match?
Yes. The opening match (Mexico vs South Africa, June 11, 8:30 PM IST) and East Coast US venue matches that kick off at 12:00 PM ET (9:30 PM IST) are the most-watchable for Indian viewers without staying up late.
More World Cup 2026 resources
Last updated May 8, 2026.