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When was the last time a FIFA World Cup final was played during the day?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final will break with a tradition that has lasted for more than three decades.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final will break with a tradition that has lasted for more than three decades.
The championship match, with Spain already awaiting its opponent, is scheduled for Saturday, July 19 at 3:00 p.m. ET, making it the first World Cup final played in daylight since the 1994 tournament in the United States.
The last daytime World Cup final was also in the United States
The previous example dates back to July 17, 1994, when Brazil and Italy met in the FIFA World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
Kickoff was at 12:30 p.m. local time, under scorching temperatures.
The match ended 0-0 after extra time before Brazil claimed its fourth World Cup title in a penalty shootout.
More than 30 years of evening finals
Since that day, World Cup finals have almost exclusively been played in the evening.
The closest exception came in Germany 2006, when the match still had some daylight at kickoff before finishing under the stadium lights.
The finals in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 all followed schedules designed for global television audiences and concluded at night.
Why will the 2026 World Cup Final be played during the day?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is scheduled to kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET.
That means the match will be played in daylight at the host venue, while fans across most of Europe, Africa and Asia will watch it during the evening. In parts of Asia, kickoff will already fall in the early hours of July 20.
For the first time in more than 30 years, the FIFA World Cup Final will once again be played under the sun.
