The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from June 11 to July 19, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States across 16 cities. All 104 matches on this page are converted to Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2), the offset Croatia uses during the entire tournament window.

Match scheduling places most fixtures in evening and overnight Croatian windows. Mexico City and US Eastern Time matches (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami) and Toronto matches typically kick off between 18:00 and 03:00 CEST. US Central Time hosts (Dallas, Houston, Kansas City) push starts to 19:00 to 04:00 CEST. US Pacific Time hosts (Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver) put marquee evening matches as late as 21:00 to 06:00 CEST, classic late-night and early-morning knockout viewing.

Croatia plays in Group L alongside England, Ghana, and Panama. The squad opens with a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final against England in Dallas (Wednesday, June 17, 22:00 CEST), travels to Toronto to face Panama (Tuesday, June 23, 01:00 CEST on Wednesday June 24), and closes the group against Ghana in Philadelphia (Saturday, June 27, 23:00 CEST). Croatia arrives off the back of two extraordinary tournament runs: a 2018 final loss to France in Moscow and a 2022 third-place finish in Qatar after defeating Brazil in the quarter-finals on penalties.

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The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs June 11 to July 19, 2026. All 104 matches converted to Hrvatska local time (CEST, UTC+02:00). Opening match is Mexico vs South Africa on Thu Jun 11 at 9:00 PM CEST. Final is Sun Jul 19 at 9:00 PM CEST.

Frequently asked questions

When does Croatia play at the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Croatia plays three Group L matches: vs England on Wednesday, June 17 in Dallas (kick-off 22:00 CEST), a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final; vs Panama on Tuesday, June 23 in Toronto (kick-off 01:00 CEST on Wednesday June 24); and vs Ghana on Saturday, June 27 in Philadelphia (kick-off 23:00 CEST). Knockout fixtures depend on Group L finishing positions and run from June 28 through the Final on July 19.

What group is Croatia in at the FIFA World Cup 2026?

Croatia is in Group L with England, Ghana, and Panama. The top two teams from each of the twelve groups plus the eight best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 32. Croatia opens against the side they eliminated at the semi-final stage of the 2018 World Cup. The Croatian squad arrives as 2018 World Cup finalists and 2022 third-place finishers, the two best results in the country's football history.

What time will World Cup 2026 matches be on Croatian TV?

Most matches will air between 18:00 and 06:00 CEST. Mexico City and US Eastern Time matches air between 18:00 and 04:00 CEST. US Pacific Time matches air from 21:00 to 06:00 CEST the next morning. The opening match (Mexico vs South Africa) kicks off at 21:00 CEST on June 11; the Final is 21:00 CEST on Sunday, July 19. Domestic broadcasters (HRT, Nova TV) typically share rights for major FIFA tournaments.

Are kick-off times the same in Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Yes. Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia all observe Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2) during the tournament. All kick-off times on this page apply without conversion to Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Podgorica, and Skopje. Bosnia and Herzegovina also has a team in the tournament (Group B with Switzerland, Canada, Qatar).