Zurich: FIFA has released the official match schedule for the FIFA Series 2026S, marking a significant step forward in the ongoing expansion of the initiative aimed at advancing the development of both men's and women's national teams.
According to Ghana Web, the schedule release follows the successful pilot edition in 2024 and the confirmation of hosts and group compositions in January 2026. This provides Participating Member Associations, stakeholders, and fans with a comprehensive view of the upcoming fixtures, scheduled for the international match window in March and April 2026.
The FIFA SeriesS was approved by the FIFA Council in December 2022 and aligns with FIFA's Strategic Objectives for the Global Game: 2023-2027. Its goal is to create meaningful international friendly matches between national teams from different confederations, fostering football development both on and off the field.
The 2026 edition will feature 48 national teams, reflecting nearly a quarter of FIFA's 211 Member Associations, competing in 12 groups of four teams each. Eleven FIFA Member Associations will host the series, with Rwanda hosting two groups. Nine groups will feature men's national teams and three will involve women's national teams, with representation from all six confederations.
The FIFA Series gathers teams with varied competitive profiles, from renowned international sides to emerging football nations, emphasizing FIFA's commitment to inclusive and sustainable global football development. All matches will be broadcast globally, increasing access for fans and enhancing visibility for the participating national teams.
Although the matches are international friendlies, the Participating Member Associations have agreed on diverse competition formats, either semi-finals and a final, or pre-arranged fixtures. Matches ending in a draw will go straight to a penalty shoot-out, with no extra time.
In each group, one Member Association will emerge as group victors. FIFA supports this participant-led approach as it enhances the competitive edge of these fixtures, makes them more engaging for fans, and provides valuable sporting opportunities for all teams involved. The FIFA Series 2026 match schedule now serves as the definitive reference for the upcoming edition.