The World Cup final will take place at 3pm (ET) at MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026, FIFA confirmed, in a move that will renew tensions over player welfare and commercial priorities.

MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it is an open venue without a roof, meaning that players and fans will be exposed to the elements. The FIFA Club World Cup last summer played its semi-finals and final at MetLife, with all three games kicking off at 3pm ET.

The semi-final between Chelsea and Fluminense had highs of 96F (36C) on July 8 and the semi-final between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid had highs of 93F on July 9. The final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, which took place on July 13, was a little cooler, with highs of 85F. The weather can also be extremely humid in the summer.

Over the last 10 years, on July 19, the day scheduled to host the final, the temperatures have hit 90F on four occasions and hit 84F or higher on seven occasions. The 10-year average is 87F, according to data from Weather Underground.

A report published in June by FIFPro, the union that represents more than 70,000 professional players worldwide, previously called on FIFA to avoid midday games in “extremely high-risk” areas, advice the world governing body has heeded. No group-stage games in Kansas City, Miami and Monterrey will begin before 6pm ET. The union labeled MetLife as being a “high-risk” location in the same report.

The 3pm ET kick-off for the final is one of eight games MetLife will host during the tournament. During the group stage, matches at MetLife will have different kick-off times: 6pm ET (Brazil vs Morocco), 4pm (Germany vs Ecuador), 3pm (France vs Senegal), 8pm (Norway vs Senegal) and 5pm (Panama vs England). MetLife’s round-of-32 game is slated for 5pm ET and its round of 16 game for 4pm ET.

The World Cup final is one of only two of its MetLife games slated to take place at 3pm, a time that also provides a premium slot for a European television audience. FIFA decides schedules and kick-off times.

Speaking to The Athletic on Saturday, FIFA’s chief tournament officer Manolo Zubiria said: “It’s the final of the World Cup — the more people you can bring to this game around the world (via television), the better. There will be measures to mitigate the heat.

“As you’ve seen, there are not that many other games in times that will raise questions. We managed to leverage it and to balance it out well.”

Alex Lasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey host city committee, told The Athletic: “This is the summertime. It does get hot. So it’s not unusual for us to do events in the summer. The Ryder Cup was a great example (in how to do this): free waters and making sure everyone was well hydrated. We’ll be working to make sure that there are no issues and that the fans can stay cool and comfortable.”

To adapt to the extreme heat last summer, FIFA implemented hydration breaks during games. Some teams had their substitutes watch their games inside the dressing room instead of from the sidelines, too.

FIFPro has been approached for comment.

Group A fixtures

Games in: Atlanta, Guadalajara, Mexico, Mexico City, Monterrey, Mexico

Matchday 1

  • Thursday, June 11: Mexico vs South Africa (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
  • Thursday, June 11: Korea Republic vs TBC (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Friday BST) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Matchday 2

  • Thursday, June 18: TBC vs South Africa (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
  • Thursday, June 18: Mexico vs Korea Republic (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Friday BST) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Matchday 3

  • Wednesday, June 24: TBC vs Mexico (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Thursday BST) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
  • Wednesday, June 24: South Africa vs Korea Republic (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Thursday BST) — Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey

Group B fixtures

Games in: Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Calif., Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Canada

Matchday 1

  • Friday, June 12: Canada vs TBC (3pm ET,12pm PT, 8pm BST) — BMO Field, Toronto
  • Saturday, June 13: Qatar vs Switzerland (3pm ET,12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco

Matchday 2

  • Thursday, June 18: Switzerland vs TBC (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
  • Thursday, June 18: Canada vs Qatar (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 11pm BST ) — BC Place, Vancouver

Matchday 3

  • Wednesday, June 24: Switzerland vs Canada (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — BC Place, Vancouver
  • Wednesday, June 24: TBC vs Qatar (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle

Group C fixtures

Games in: Atlanta, Boston, East Rutherford, N.J., Miami, Philadelphia

Matchday 1

  • Saturday, June 13: Brazil vs Morocco (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 10pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
  • Saturday, June 13: Haiti vs Scotland (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Sunday BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston

Matchday 2

  • Friday, June 19: Scotland vs Morocco (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 10pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston
  • Friday, June 19: Brazil vs Haiti (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Saturday BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Brazil winger Vinicius Junior (Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)

Matchday 3

  • Wednesday, June 24: Scotland vs Brazil (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 10pm BST) – Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
  • Wednesday, June 24: Morocco vs Haiti (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Group D fixtures

Games in: Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Calif., Seattle, Vancouver, Canada

Matchday 1

  • Friday, June 12: USA vs Paraguay (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Saturday BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
  • Saturday, June 13: Australia vs TBC (12am Saturday ET, 9pm PT, 5am Saturday BST) — BC Place, Vancouver

Matchday 2

  • Friday, June 19: TBC vs Paraguay (12am Saturday ET , 9pm PT, 5am Saturday BST) — Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
  • Friday, June 19: USA vs Australia (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle

Matchday 3

  • Thursday, June 25: TBC vs USA (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Friday BST ) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
  • Thursday, June 25: Paraguay vs Australia (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Friday BST) — Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco

Group E fixtures

Games in: East Rutherford, N.J., Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Philadelphia, Toronto

Matchday 1

Sunday, June 14: Germany vs Curacao (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Sunday, June 14: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Monday BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Matchday 2

Saturday, June 20: Germany vs Ivory Coast (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Toronto Stadium, Toronto
Saturday, June 20: Ecuador vs Curacao (8pm ET, 5pm PT, 1am Sunday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Matchday 3

Thursday, June 25: Ecuador vs Germany (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
Thursday, June 25: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Group F fixtures

Games in: Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Monterrey, Mexico

Matchday 1

Sunday, June 14: Netherlands vs Japan (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Sunday, June 14: TBC vs Tunisia (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Monday BST) — Estadio BBVA, Monterrey

Matchday 2

Saturday, June 20: Netherlands vs TBC (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Saturday, June 20: Tunisia vs Japan (12am Sunday ET, 9pm ET, 5am Sunday BST) — Estadio BBVA, Monterrey

Matchday 3

Thursday, June 25: Japan vs TBC (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Friday BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Thursday, June 25: Tunisia vs Netherlands (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Friday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Group G fixtures

Games in: Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, Canada

Matchday 1

Monday, June 15: Iran vs New Zealand (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Tuesday BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Monday, June 15: Belgium vs Egypt (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle

Matchday 2

Sunday, June 21: Belgium vs Iran (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Sunday, June 21: New Zealand vs Egypt (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Monday BST) — BC Place, Vancouver

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah (Abdel Majid Bziouat / AFP via Getty Images)

Matchday 3

Friday, June 26: Egypt vs Iran (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 4am Saturday BST) — Lumen Field, Seattle
Friday, June 26: New Zealand vs Belgium (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 4am Saturday BST) — BC Place, Vancouver

Group H fixtures

Games in: Atlanta, Miami, Guadalajara, Mexico, Houston

Matchday 1

Monday, June 15: Spain vs Cape Verde (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Monday, June 15: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 11pm BST) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Matchday 2

Sunday, June 21: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (12pm ET, 9am PT, 5pm BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Sunday, June 21: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (6pm ET, 3pm PT, 11pm BST) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Matchday 3

Friday, June 26: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (8pm, 5pm ET, 1am Saturday BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
Friday, June 26: Uruguay vs Spain (8pm ET, 5pm ET, 1am Saturday BST) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Group I fixtures

Games in: Boston, East Rutherford, N.J., Philadelphia, Toronto

Matchday 1

  • Tuesday, June 16: France vs Senegal (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
  • Tuesday, June 16th: TBC vs Norway (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston

Matchday 2

  • Monday, June 22: France vs TBC (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
  • Monday, June 22: Norway vs Senegal (8pm ET, 5pm PT, 1am Tuesday BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey

Matchday 3

  • Friday, June 26: Norway vs France (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston
  • Friday, June 26: Senegal vs TBC (3pm ET, 12pm PT, 8pm BST) — BMO Field, Toronto

Group J fixtures

Games in: Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Santa Clara, Calif.

Matchday 1

  • Tuesday, June 16: Argentina vs Algeria (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 2am Wednesday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
  • Tuesday, June 16: Austria vs Jordan (12am Wednesday ET, 9pm PT, 5am Wednesday BST) — Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco

Lionel Messi and Argentina won the last World Cup in 2022 (Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP via Getty Images)

Matchday 2

  • Monday, June 22: Argentina vs Austria (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
  • Monday, June 22: Jordan vs Algeria (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 4am Tuesday BST) — Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco

Matchday 3

  • Saturday, June 27: Algeria vs Austria (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Sunday BST) — Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
  • Saturday, June 27: Jordan vs Argentina (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Sunday BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas

Group K fixtures

Games in: Atlanta, Guadalajara, Mexico, Houston, Mexico City, Miami

Matchday 1

  • Wednesday, June 17: Portugal vs TBC (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
  • Wednesday, June 17: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Thursday BST) — Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Matchday 2

  • Tuesday, June 23: Portugal vs Uzbekistan (1pm ET, 10am PT, 6pm BST) — NRG Stadium, Houston
  • Tuesday, June 23: Colombia vs TBC (10pm ET, 7pm PT, 3am Wednesday BST) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara

Matchday 3

  • Saturday, June 27: Colombia vs Portugal (7.30pm ET, 4.30pm PT, 12.30am Sunday BST) — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
  • Saturday, June 27: TBC vs Uzbekistan (7.30pm ET, 4.30pm PT, 12.30am Sunday BST) — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Group L fixtures

Games in: Boston, Dallas, East Rutherford, N.J., Philadelphia, Toronto

Matchday 1

  • Wednesday, June 17: England vs Croatia (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — AT&T Stadium, Dallas
  • Wednesday, June 17: Ghana vs Panama (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Thursday BST) — BMO Field, Toronto

Matchday 2

  • Tuesday, June 23: England vs Ghana (4pm ET, 1pm PT, 9pm BST) — Gillette Stadium, Boston
  • Tuesday, June 23: Panama vs Croatia (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 12am Wednesday BST) — BMO Field, Toronto

Matchday 3

  • Saturday, June 27: Panama vs England (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
  • Saturday, June 27: Croatia vs Ghana (5pm ET, 2pm PT, 10pm BST) — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia