FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Timings in IST: India Time Zone Chart & Schedule
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is delivering exciting football across North America. However, for fans in India, watching matches requires navigating significant time zone differences. The host cities in the US, Mexico, and Canada operate 9.5 to 13.5 hours behind India.
To help you plan, we translate the complete kick-off schedule into Indian Standard Time (IST) in this guide.
Understanding the Time Zone Offsets
Matches are played across four primary time zones:Most matches kick off between 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM local North American time, which corresponds to late-night and early-morning broadcasts in India.
Standard IST Kick-Off Slots
| Local Kick-off Time | Time Zone | IST Kick-off Time |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 (1:00 PM) | Eastern Time (EDT) | 10:30 PM IST (Same Day) |
| 17:00 (5:00 PM) | Central Time (CDT) | 3:30 AM IST (Next Day) |
| 18:00 (6:00 PM) | Eastern Time (EDT) | 3:30 AM IST (Next Day) |
| 19:30 (7:30 PM) | Pacific Time (PDT) | 8:00 AM IST (Next Day) |
| 20:00 (8:00 PM) | Central Time (CDT) | 6:30 AM IST (Next Day) |
Knockout Match Timings in IST
The single-elimination rounds (Round of 32, Round of 16, and Quarter-finals) feature three standard IST kick-off slots:The Semi-Finals on July 15 & 16 will kick off at 3:30 AM IST. The World Cup Final on July 19 will kick off at 11:30 PM IST, allowing fans in India to watch the final match before midnight.
Bookmark FreeTool.tech and check out our interactive timezone converter tool to view upcoming schedules dynamically!