photo by: AP Photo/Chris Carlson

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, greets Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni during the match schedule reveal for the 2026 soccer World Cup in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Argentina will start their World Cup in Kansas City, playing Algeria as part of Group J on June 16.

FIFA has finalized the matches in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, and Kansas City will play host to soccer powerhouses and the ultimate “minnow” in tiny Curaçao.

Kansas City was selected Friday to host four group stage matches: one match for both Group E and Group F and two matches for Group J. On Saturday, FIFA unveiled its schedule, and the first match at Arrowhead Stadium will take place on June 16 at 8 p.m. between reigning World Cup champion Argentina and Algeria, which will be the opening match of Group J.

Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup, will take on Ecuador in Kansas City in Group E on June 20. That match is set to kick off at 7 p.m.

European powerhouse Netherlands will play a match in Kansas City during the group stage. They will take on Tunisia on June 25 in Group F, with the match kicking off at 6 p.m.

Algeria will play twice in Kansas City, as they will play Austria in the final match of Group J on June 27. That match will kick off at 9 p.m.

Here is the full list of confirmed matches that will be played in Kansas City:

• June 16 at 8 p.m., Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria

• June 20 at 7 p.m., Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao

• June 25 at 6 p.m., Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands

• June 27 at 9 p.m., Group J, Algeria vs. Austria

Kansas City will also play host to two games during the knock-out stage, one during the Round of 32, the other during the Quarter-Finals. The Round of 32 match would take place between the winner of Group K — which includes Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia and the winner of an international playoff that will be decided in March — and a third place finisher in either Group D, E, I, J or L. That match will take place on July 3.

Kansas City will also host a Quarter-Final match on July 11.

Now that those group stage fixtures are scheduled, it means that national teams have a better idea of where they might want to have their base camp and what visitors might come to the region. Local organizers told the Journal-World that several delegations from national teams will visit Lawrence in the next week as they scout the possibility of hosting their base camp in the city.