Venues, dates and times confirmed for Ireland's potential World Cup journey

The European playoff winner's fixtures have been set.

Sat, 06 Dec, 2025 - 17:35

Larry Ryan and David Hytner

The venues for Ireland's potential World Cup group games have been confirmed, with two visits to Mexico in store should Heimir Hallgrímsson's side make it through March's playoffs.

The specifics of the group phase schedule were finalised at part two of the World Cup draw in Washington, DC, on Saturday.

The European playoff winner's opening game in Group A against South Korea will be held in Guadalajara on June 11.

That opening fixture has currently been fixed for 10pm local time, which is 3am Irish time on June 12.

Next up is South Africa in Atlanta at noon on June 18, which would threaten temperatures in the 30s at that time of year. TV viewing will be easier, however, at 5pm Irish time.

The matchday 3 fixture on June 24 with hosts Mexico will take place in Mexico City, in the famed Azteca Stadium. at least at a cooler 9pm. Though it will be late one for TV viewers, at 2am in the morning of June 25.

South Korea is the only team other than Canada and Mexico with no games in the US, playing its opener in Guadalajara, then facing Mexico at the same venue and finishing against South Africa in Monterrey.

Meanwhile, England will kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas at 9pm Irish time on Wednesday 17 June.

Thomas Tuchel’s team will play at the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, which has a retractable roof and air conditioning, which will mitigate the effects of a 4pm ET kick-off or 3pm local time.

Their second game, against Ghana on 23 June, will be played at the Gillette Stadium near Boston at 4pm ET or 9pm UK time. It is an open-air stadium. The average June daily temperature high there is 26C.

The World Cup final will kick off at 8pm Irish time next July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The kickoff time at 3pm local time is to allow for prime-time viewing in Europe. The average 3 pm temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 28 degrees celsius, according to AccuWeather.

Seventy-eight games will be in the US, including all from the quarter-finals on, and 13 apiece in Canada and Mexico.

With Guardian and Associated Press