Qatar

Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup in its own timezone (Asia/Qatar, UTC+3), meaning fans in Doha watched every match at extraordinarily convenient times. The 2026 edition flips that completely. All three Qatar group stage matches take place on the US West Coast, and for fans back in Qatar, every kickoff arrives as a nighttime or early morning event.

The first Group B match is June 13 against Switzerland in San Francisco, with a 12:00 Pacific kickoff. That is 23:00 in Doha. A late-night start.

The second match on June 18 against Canada is in Vancouver, kicking off at 15:00 Pacific. In Qatar that is 01:00 on June 19. Past midnight.

The third group game returns to the West Coast on June 24, played in Seattle against the UEFA Path A winner, with a 12:00 Pacific start. That is 23:00 again in Doha.

Qatar qualified automatically as host in 2022 and had to navigate qualifying for 2026 through the AFC pathway. The team has invested heavily in player development through the Aspire Academy system, and results have improved.

For Qatari fans living in London, the schedule is friendlier: a 12:00 Pacific kickoff is 20:00 British Summer Time, and 15:00 Pacific is 23:00. Still late, but not impossible.

For the large South Asian expat population in Qatar who are also football followers, this creates a shared scheduling challenge that transcends national loyalties.

Use the converter on this page for exact local kickoff times wherever you are watching Qatar’s Group B campaign.