England's and Scotland's opening World Cup games destination and dates revealed as fans rush to book flights

Ed Griffiths

By Ed Griffiths


Published: 06/12/2025

- 17:51

Updated: 06/12/2025

- 18:24

The Three Lions and Scotland were drawn into groups during a bizarre ceremony on Friday

England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in the summer.

England, who are in Group L, will begin their tournament against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.


Their next group match will see them face Ghana in Boston on June 23.

The opening stages will conclude in New Jersey, where the Three Lions will face Panama on June 27.

Scotland's Group C campaign begins earlier.

Steve Clarke's side will clash with Haiti in Boston on 13 June.

The Scots remain in the same city for their second match against Morocco on 19 June.

For their final group fixture, they will travel south to Miami for a showdown with Brazil on 24 June.

World Cup draw

England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in the summer

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GETTY

Supporters are now expected to begin arranging their transatlantic travel plans.

Wales and Northern Ireland remain in limbo as both nations must navigate play-off routes to reach the tournament.

The Welsh face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff first, with victory setting up a second play-off against either Italy or Northern Ireland.

Should Rob Page's side overcome both hurdles, they would join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.

Details of the FIFA World Cup Trophy as the screen displays the schedule during the FIFA World Cup 2026 official match schedule announcement

Details of the FIFA World Cup Trophy as the screen displays the schedule during the FIFA World Cup 2026 official match schedule announcement

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GETTY

Northern Ireland's path requires them to defeat Italy before potentially facing Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in a decisive encounter.

Both home nations are therefore competing for the same single remaining spot in Group B.

This means only one can possibly secure qualification through the play-off system.

The Three Lions and Scotland were drawn into groups during a bizarre ceremony on Friday, which included President Donald Trump being the first recipient of the Fifa Peace Prize.

World Cup drawThe World Cup draw took place in Washington on Friday | GETTY

The 2026 World Cup introduces a new 48-team format, expanding from the traditional 32-team structure used since 1998.

Instead of eight groups of four, the tournament will now feature 12 groups of four teams, with the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing to a much larger Round of 32.

This replaces the old system, which moved straight into a Round of 16.

As a result, the competition grows from 64 to 104 matches, making it the biggest World Cup ever.