FIFA World Cup 2026 in JST
World Cup 2026 Schedule in Japan
Japan return for their eighth consecutive World Cup, with the Samurai Blue established as Asia's strongest side. Hajime Moriyasu brings a settled squad built around Kaoru Mitoma, Takefusa Kubo, and the European-based midfield engine. Tournament kickoff times skew toward early morning JST, with the most-watchable window being the 10:00 AM JST late-morning slot.
NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, traditionally holds free-to-air rights and is expected to carry every Japan match plus selected high-profile fixtures. ABEMA (CyberAgent's streaming platform) held expanded digital rights at the 2022 tournament with free-tier streaming of all 64 matches and is the likely 2026 streaming partner. TV Asahi and Fuji TV historically share supplementary coverage.
Japan Standard Time. The 10:00 AM JST window for evening Pacific Time kickoffs is the prime-time slot for Japanese viewers. Most US-based matches kick off in the early-morning JST window, requiring late-night or sunrise viewing. Japan fixtures in their group will likely fall into the 7:00 AM or 10:00 AM JST windows depending on group draw.
Kickoff windows in JST
Most World Cup 2026 matches kick off in one of four standard windows. Use this as your at-a-glance reference.
Download the Japan schedule PDF
Take the full Japan-time schedule offline. A4 printable, optimized for office walls and home printing.
Every match, JST time
All 104 matches in chronological order by your local viewing date. Times shown are venue kickoff converted to JST.
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
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
Where to watch World Cup 2026 in Japan?
NHK holds free-to-air rights for Japan matches and selected fixtures. ABEMA streams matches on its standard tier, expected to be free. TV Asahi and Fuji TV provide supplementary coverage and analysis.
Is FIFA World Cup 2026 free in Japan?
Largely yes. NHK broadcasts free-to-air on terrestrial TV. ABEMA streams matches on its free standard tier. Selected premium content may be on ABEMA Premium subscription.
What time are Japan World Cup matches in JST?
Japan's group matches in the US will most likely kick off at 7:00 AM or 10:00 AM JST, requiring an early start for breakfast viewing. The exact kickoff windows depend on which US time zone the venue is in.
More World Cup 2026 resources
Last updated May 8, 2026.