WASHINGTON — FIFA announced the start times for the tournament’s 104 matches on Saturday, a day after the draw for the expanded 48-nation tournament, with the final set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on July 19.
The kickoff time for the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, allows for prime-time viewing in continental Europe, where it will be 9 p.m., and Britain, where it will be 8 p.m.
The average 3 p.m. temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 83 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
Nine of the 10 World Cup finals from 1978 through 2014 started in the 2-3:30 p.m. ET range. The exception was in 2002 in Japan, which began at 7 a.m. ET. The 2018 final started at 11 a.m. ET and the 2022 championship of a tournament shifted to winter in Qatar at 10 a.m. ET.
The 1994 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/47224100/fifa-2026-world-cup-match-schedule-final-kickoff-usa