FIFA announces full fixture list for global tournament featuring 48 national teams across six confederations
FIFA has officially published the match schedule for the FIFA Series 2026™, marking a significant milestone in the continued expansion of the initiative aimed at strengthening the development of men’s and women’s national teams worldwide.
The tournament will take place during the international match window in March and April 2026, bringing together 48 national teams (men’s and women’s combined) from all six FIFA confederations. The teams will compete in 12 groups of four, hosted by 11 FIFA Member Associations, with Rwanda staging two of the groups.
This edition builds on the successful pilot tournament held in 2024 and follows the confirmation of hosts and group compositions announced in January 2026. With the official match schedule now available, Participating Member Associations (PMAs), stakeholders, and fans have complete visibility of the upcoming fixtures.
The FIFA Series™ initiative was approved by the FIFA Council in December 2022 and aligns with FIFA’s Strategic Objectives for the Global Game (2023–2027). The primary objective is to create meaningful international friendly matches between teams from different confederations that do not typically face each other, thereby supporting football development both on and off the field.
Of the 12 groups:
- Nine groups will feature men’s national teams
- Three groups will include women’s national teams
- All six confederations will be represented
The tournament will showcase a diverse mix of established football nations and emerging teams, reinforcing FIFA’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable global football growth.
All matches will be broadcast globally, ensuring worldwide visibility and increased fan access.
Although the fixtures are classified as international friendlies, PMAs have agreed on competitive formats, including either:
- Semi-finals followed by a final, or
- Pre-arranged fixtures
Matches ending in a draw will proceed directly to a penalty shoot-out, with no extra time. Regardless of format, one team from each group will be declared group winner. FIFA has endorsed this flexible, participant-driven approach to enhance competitiveness, excitement, and sporting value.
The official FIFA Series 2026™ match schedule is now available and will serve as the definitive reference for the upcoming edition.