Quarter-Final 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place on Saturday 11 July 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The winners advance to Semi-Final 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday 15 July, joining the winners of Quarter-Final 4 from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
What is the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final?
The quarter-finals reduce the World Cup field from eight to four teams and are the stage at which genuine contenders begin to separate themselves from the pack. At the 2026 tournament, the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, every side reaching this round will have already played six matches across the group stage, Round of 32 and Round of 16. The four quarter-finals are played over four days from 9 to 12 July at venues spread across the United States.
Matches are single-elimination. Extra time is played if the teams are level after 90 minutes, followed by a penalty shootout if the match is still tied. Five substitutes are permitted during regulation with one additional in extra time.
When is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final?
Quarter-Final 3 kicks off at 17:00 Eastern Time on Saturday 11 July 2026. That is 22:00 BST in the UK, 23:00 CEST across most of continental Europe, 14:00 on the US West Coast, and 06:00 on Sunday 12 July in Tokyo. Extra time and penalties will decide the match if it finishes level.
Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter-Final?
The match is being played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. The stadium originally opened in 1987 as Joe Robbie Stadium and has been extensively renovated since, with the most recent major works adding a canopy over the seating bowl to shade fans from the Florida sun. World Cup capacity at the stadium is approximately 65,000, with a temporary natural grass pitch installed for the tournament.
Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV and LIV), multiple College Football Playoff finals, the Miami Open tennis tournament and the annual Miami Grand Prix, with Formula 1 building a temporary circuit around the stadium each May. It is hosting seven matches at the 2026 World Cup, including group-stage games, a Round of 32 tie, a Round of 16 match, this quarter-final and the third place play-off on 18 July. Miami International Airport is around 20 minutes away.
Key Contenders
The two teams meeting in Miami Gardens will be confirmed by the Round of 16 matches on 6 and 7 July. Before then, likely contenders for a quarter-final place include reigning world champions Argentina, 2022 runners-up France, five-time winners Brazil, European champions Spain and four-time winners Germany. England, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia are all capable of reaching this stage, while the three host nations carry their own weight of expectation and home support.
The 2022 quarter-finalists were Argentina, France, Croatia, Netherlands, Portugal, Morocco, Brazil and England. Argentina, France, Croatia and Morocco advanced to the semi-finals.
How to Watch
The quarter-final is on free-to-air television in most major markets. BBC or ITV carries the match in the United Kingdom, with live streaming on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. FOX provides English-language coverage in the United States with Telemundo and Peacock on Spanish. TSN and CTV share rights in Canada, RDS covers the French-language feed, and TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca share rights in Mexico. SBS has the free-to-air rights in Australia with Optus Sport streaming, TF1 and beIN Sports share France, ARD and ZDF rotate in Germany, and beIN Sports holds exclusive rights across the Middle East and North Africa.
History and Records
World Cup quarter-finals have been the source of many of the tournament’s most iconic moments. The 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England at the Estadio Azteca produced Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and “Goal of the Century” within four minutes, and in 1970 at the same venue Italy beat Mexico 4-1 en route to the semi-final “Game of the Century”. France beat Brazil 1-0 in Frankfurt in 2006 thanks to Thierry Henry to eliminate the pre-tournament favourites.
In more recent tournaments the quarter-finals have become the staging ground for dramatic shootouts and upsets. The Netherlands beat Costa Rica on penalties in 2014 after introducing goalkeeper Tim Krul as a shootout substitute. Russia knocked out Spain in 2018 on penalties, and Argentina beat Netherlands in Qatar in 2022 after squandering a two-goal lead. Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 in Doha in 2022 to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the quarter-finals are sold exclusively through FIFA.com, with On Location supplying hospitality packages. Category 4 tickets for the quarter-finals began at approximately 655 US dollars for host-country residents, with top Category 1 seats listed at around 1,560 dollars. Availability has been heavily constrained by strong demand, and any remaining inventory is released via FIFA’s fan-to-fan resale platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final kick off?
Quarter-Final 3 kicks off at 17:00 Eastern Time on Saturday 11 July 2026, which is 22:00 BST.
Where is the quarter-final being held?
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
How can I watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final?
BBC or ITV in the UK, FOX and Telemundo in the United States, TSN and CTV in Canada, and free-to-air broadcasters in most major markets.
What happens if the match is a draw?
Thirty minutes of extra time, followed by a penalty shootout if still level.