World Cup schedule is out. Here’s who’s coming to Miami and how to get tickets
South Florida soccer fans will have quite a menu of World Cup matches at Hard Rock Stadium next summer.
The full schedule was released on Saturday. Here is who is coming to Miami Gardens:
Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia on June 15 at 6 p.m.
Uruguay will then play Cape Verde on June 21 at 6 p.m.
Brazil, the five-time World Cup champion, plays Scotland on June 24 at 6 p.m.
Colombia plays Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal team on June 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Then, on July 3, in the Round of 32, the winner of Group J (Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan) plays the Group H runner-up (Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay). If Argentina wins its group, as expected, Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi would have a chance to play in South Florida, a short drive from his Fort Lauderdale home.
Hard Rock Stadium will also host a quarterfinal on July 11 at 5 p.m. and the third-place match on July 18 at 5 p.m.
Haitian fans react to World Cup schedule
Haiti will play its opening match against Scotland on June 13 in Boston. Its second game against Brazil on June 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and its third game against Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
Haitian soccer fans in South Florida were disappointed to see that their home team will not be playing at Hard Rock.
Still while the Miami-Dade-Broward County region is considered to be home to the largest Haitian-American community in the United States, Atlanta is home to an emerging one.
Boston also boasts a sizable Haitian community that’s active in politics and preserving the culture. Philadelphia has one of the smaller Haitian communities.
Former North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre, who vowed a day earlier to go wherever the Haitian played, said he was already making plans Saturday as soon as the schedule was released.
“It’s a tough one” Grammy-winning artist Wyclef Jean said about Haiti’s field. “But I think they are going to start off strong because they’re hungry.”
“For me, it’s a dream come true,” he said of Haiti’s appearance.
The musician was at Friday’s draw and among his honors, are his collaboration with Shakira, “’Hips Don’t Lie” and “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way),” with Carlos Santana and Avicii, which are listed among the official anthems for the FIFA World Cup, 2006 and 2014, respectively.
“As someone who had two big anthems for the World Cup, I’m happy because I had only wished our country would be at the World Cup. I can’t stop cheesing. I can’t stop smiling. It’s nothing new to me; I love the women’s soccer team and I send them shoutouts all the time,” he said. “I think, Haiti, period, has an amazing future in the field of football that the way that the Dominican Republic has with baseball. I think we just need more resources, and we need more people to come in and invest in that sector.”
North Miami Councilman Pierre Frantz Charles who hosted a Draw watch party Friday at Da Cave restaurant, said Haiti has a fight on its hands.
“We are in the toughest group. But anything can happen,” he said.
“But we are in the World Cup,” he added. “We just have to work hard and smart, like adding more players to the squad. Then we should be good. I am hopeful we are able to win one game and have a draw despite being in that Group C. ... To me, it’s just a little bit scary.”
Since after the 1974 World Cup, the last time Haiti played in the event, the country’s soccer fans have divided their loyalties between Brazil and Argentina, even stopping a debate in Parliament to watch a match. While some say there is no question on where their loyalties will lie, which is with their Grenadiers, some are also realistic.
HOW TO GET WORLD CUP TICKETS, VISAS
The 2026 World Cup draw is set. The schedule is set.
Now, fans can make their travel plans and order tickets to see their beloved national teams. Here’s how World Cup ticketing works:
Nearly two million tickets have been sold to fans in more than 200 countries in the first two phases of ticket sales.
The entry period for the third phase of ticket sales — the Random Selection Draw — will open at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 11 and close at 11 a.m. ET on Jan. 13, 2026.
This will be the first phase when fans will be able to apply for single-match tickets based on exact matchups and teams for group-stage games.
During the two initial ticket-sales phases, residents of the three host countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico, in that order — drove the most purchases, followed by fans in England, Germany, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and France.
To purchase tickets, fans need to register at FIFA.com/tickets.
Timing of a fan’s entry into the Random Selection Draw during the entry period will not impact the fan’s chances of success. Fans with an existing FIFA ID should log in using those credentials and then enter the Random Selection Draw even if they have entered previous ticket draws. For those who do not have an existing FIFA ID, an account must be created on FIFA.com/tickets to get started.
Fans will be able to select which match(es), respective ticket category(ies) and number of tickets per match they would like to purchase, subject to household restrictions. All successful and partially successful ticket applicants will receive communications via email and subsequently will be automatically charged for their tickets in February. A partially successful application indicates that a fan will receive the number of tickets requested to a match, but not all matches requested.
Fans of a specific national team may also be eligible to apply for Participating Member Association (PMA) supporter tickets at FIFA.com/tickets starting Thursday, Dec. 11, should they meet their PMA’s eligibility criteria. Each PMA sets its own criteria for fans to be recognized as PMA supporters and establishes its own process for obtaining tickets.
Fans who would like to secure access to specific matches immediately after the match schedule is revealed can purchase hospitality packages as well. Hospitality packages, which are inclusive of match tickets, are available now at FIFA.com/hospitality through On Location, the official hospitality provider of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Closer to the tournament, fans may be able to buy any remaining ticket inventory on a first-come, first-served basis (subject to availability). As always, FIFA encourages fans to purchase tickets only through FIFA.com/tickets, the official and preferred source of tickets for the FIFA World Cup. Hospitality packages and tickets sourced from unofficial sales channels may not be valid.
A match ticket does not guarantee admission to a host country, and fans should visit each host country’s government website today for entry requirements for Canada, Mexico and the United States. Given the processing times involved, FIFA recommends submitting the visa application as early as possible. FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket-holders travelling to the United States are eligible for the recently announced FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS).
Herald writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM.