Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and Portugal will be among the national teams playing in South Florida at next summer's World Cup, FIFA confirmed over the weekend.
More than three years after Miami was announced as a host city for the prestigious tournament, fans were finally told which teams would take part in the four group stage games set for the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
The entire schedule for the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States was revealed Saturday, a day after the draw divided the 48-team field into a dozen groups of four for the preliminary round.
READ MORE: From the U.S. fate to the group of death, here are 5 takeaways from the World Cup draw
And there will be excitement among South Florida soccer fans, as Brazil and Colombia, representing two of the areas most populous Latin diasporas, will play one match each — and as final group stage games, both of those could be crucial in deciding whether the teams progress to the elimination rounds.
Five-time world champion Brazil will play Scotland on June 24, while Colombia will take on Portugal — likely featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the all-time greats — on June 27. For Colombia, it will mark a return to the stadium where they lost the 2024 Copa America final amid chaotic scenes in 2024.
Uruguay, another competitive team from South America, will take part in the first two games at the Hard Rock. On June 15, the two-time world champion will play South Arabia, while on June 21 Uruguay will face Cape Verde, the African island nation taking part in its first World Cup.
Beyond the group stage, there will also be a second round game at the Hard Rock Stadium — a match which will include current holder Argentina if Lionel Messi and co win their group — as well as a quarter-final and the bronze medal match.
South Florida is likely to also host two teams for the tournament. FIFA has approved two locations as potential team base camps for preparations and training: Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Gardens North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens.
Teams, which would usually stay at a hotel in the surrounding area and often take part in events with the community, are expected to make their selections in the coming weeks.
Heat concerns
On Saturday, FIFA also announced the kick-off times for all games, with all but two matches in Miami taking place at 6 p.m. The organization said it was taking into account heat as well as team travel and international broadcast.
Heat has long been an issue at World Cups. The Qatar tournament in 2022 was played later in the year because of it. The last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup in 1994, games were mostly during the day. That was convenient for television viewers in Europe, but it made for some sweltering conditions in places like the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
At the 2026 World Cup, games in the Dallas area will be played in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium — and the home of the NFL's Cowboys has a retractable roof. So do the stadiums in Houston and Atlanta that are being used. SoFi Stadium — the Los Angeles Rams' home in Inglewood, California — has a roof, but air from the outside can flow in. With five afternoon games on the schedule, SoFi is a spot where temperatures could soar.
But FIFPRO, the global players’ union, in June said afternoon Cup games in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Miami Gardens had “extremely high risk” of heat-related injury, Foxborough, Guadalajara and Philadelphia had “very high risk” and East Rutherford and Inglewood had ”high risk.”
Kansas City has all night games while Miami has a pair of 5 p.m. starts and five night matches.
Nevertheless, three of Miami's group stage games are among those where heat is most likely to be an issue at kickoff, based on 30-year averages of Accuweather's "RealFeel" temperature.
For players, FIFA has said it will include three-minute hydration breaks in each half of every game — and not just those played in hot weather.
The referee will stop the game 22 minutes into each half for players to take drinks, regardless of the temperature, the host country — the United States, Canada or Mexico — or whether the stadium has a roof and air conditioning.
Here is the full line-up of matches in Miami Gardens:
Saudi Arabia v Uruguay (Group H) on June 15, at 6 p.m.
Uruguay v Cabo Verde (Group H) on June 21, at 6 p.m.
Brazil v Morocco (Group C) on June 13, at 6 p.m.
Colombia v Portugal (Group K) on June 27, at 7:30 p.m.
Winner of Group J v Runner-up of Group H on July 3, at 6 p.m.
Quarter-final #3 on July 11, at 5 p.m.
Bronze medal match on July 18, at 5 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
