The FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway today with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The opening match kicks off at 12:30 AM Sri Lanka time on Friday, June 12, Newswire reported.
Jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the 2026 edition is the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches across the three host nations through to the July 19 final.
Sri Lankan fans face an unusually early schedule. With matches played across the American continent, most fixtures fall in pre-dawn local hours — 12:30 AM, 3:30 AM, 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM Sri Lanka time, with a smaller evening band at 9:30 PM and 10:30 PM. On peak group-stage days there will be up to six matches in a single window, including simultaneous fixtures across multiple venues.
Notable early fixtures for South Asian audiences include United States vs Paraguay (6:30 AM, June 13), Brazil vs Morocco (3:30 AM, June 14), Germany vs Curaçao (10:30 PM, June 14), Argentina vs Algeria (6:30 AM, June 17), Iran vs New Zealand (6:30 AM, June 16), Portugal vs DR Congo (10:30 PM, June 17) and England vs Croatia (1:30 AM, June 18).
Maharaja Media Network secured the free-to-air broadcast rights for Sri Lanka at a media briefing earlier this week, and will carry all 104 matches across TV1, Sirasa TV and Shakthi TV from June 12 through to the July 20 broadcast window, with three dedicated channels providing simultaneous coverage of fixtures playing across the United States, Canada and Mexico. A PEO TV partnership extends the feed island-wide.
Sources: Newswire — FIFA World Cup 2026: Full group stage schedule in Sri Lanka time.
