Tonight's match night at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is one of the most packed of the group stage: six third-round fixtures will decide the fate of four groups simultaneously. The headline clash is Norway vs France at 22:00 Kyiv time — the winner tops Group I, and Erling Haaland goes head-to-head with Kylian Mbappé. At the same time, at 03:00 (June 27), Uruguay face Spain — a match that could determine the Group H champion. If you're planning your evening, here is the full FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Kyiv time.
Day's schedule
- 22:00 Kyiv time. Norway vs France (Group I, matchday 3) — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, USA
- 22:00 Kyiv time. Senegal vs Iraq (Group I, matchday 3) — BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
- 03:00 Kyiv time (June 27). Uruguay vs Spain (Group H, matchday 3) — Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico
- 03:00 Kyiv time (June 27). Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, matchday 3) — NRG Stadium, Houston, USA
- 06:00 Kyiv time (June 27). New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G, matchday 3)
- 06:00 Kyiv time (June 27). Egypt vs Iran (Group G, matchday 3) — Lumen Field, Seattle, USA
Norway vs France (22:00 Kyiv time, Group I)
This is the match worth staying up for. Both sides enter matchday 3 with six points — two wins each. Norway beat Iraq (4:1) and Senegal (3:2), while France thrashed Senegal (3:1) and Iraq (3:0). The winner tops Group I and earns a more favourable path through the knockout rounds. In the event of a draw, France hold the advantage on goal difference — +5 compared to Norway's +4.
Star duel: Erling Haaland has already scored four goals in this tournament, including a hat-trick across two matches. He faces a French defence marshalled at the back while Mbappé leads the attack — the Les Bleus captain is still looking for his first goal of the championship. Watch Martin Ødegaard as the conductor of Norway's attacks — he has assisted on the majority of the team's goals.
Running in parallel at the same time is Senegal vs Iraq: both sides are pointless, but a third-place finish with a strong goal difference could still earn a spot in the round of 16 among the eight best third-placed teams.
Uruguay vs Spain (03:00 Kyiv time, June 27, Group H)
The night's "blockbuster" of the group stage. Spain, after an opening draw with Cape Verde (0:0), thrashed Saudi Arabia (4:0) and are pushing for first place. Uruguay drew with Saudi Arabia (1:1) and Cape Verde (2:2) — and need a win to guarantee their progression. A Spain win makes them Group H champions; a draw may also be enough depending on the parallel result. Lamine Yamal has returned to the starting lineup after injury — the key team-news headline for La Furia Roja. Simultaneously, Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia will decide which of them can claim third place.
New Zealand vs Belgium and Egypt vs Iran (06:00 Kyiv time, June 27, Group G)
The morning slot closes out Group G. Belgium and Egypt are the main contenders to advance, but the final picture will only become clear after the final whistle of both matches. Egypt play in Seattle at Lumen Field — the same stadium where the USA previously made their mark in the group stage.
What's at stake: the day in summary
Groups G, H and I — three of the twelve — wrap up today. In a single night, six spots in the round of 16 will be decided, plus the candidates for the "best third-placed" berths. As a reminder: the top two from each group advance to the knockout stage, along with the 8 best third-placed sides from the 12 groups. For more on matches already played, see the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Kyiv time for June 26 and the morning digest on the Netherlands and Japan advancing.
Summaries of all six matches will appear in the evening edition of "Night Mundial" and in the morning digest at 08:00 Kyiv time.
Photo: NBC News · Editorial (source)