World Cup 2026 Final Weekend — NZ Kick-Off Times, Venues & Forecast
Available in US
The World Cup ends this weekend, and both matches land at friendly hours for New Zealand. The third-place play-off (France vs England) is a Sunday morning game, and the final (Spain vs Argentina) is an early Monday kick-off. Here is the full timetable in NZST, the venues, and what the forecast looks like at each ground.
The Timetable in NZ Time
New Zealand is 16 hours ahead of US Eastern Time, so a Saturday-evening US kick-off becomes a Sunday-morning watch here, and Sunday’s final rolls over to Monday morning NZST.
| Match | NZ kick-off (NZST) | US kick-off (ET) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd place: France vs England | 9:00 AM, Sun 19 Jul | 17:00, Sat 18 Jul | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens FL |
| Final: Spain vs Argentina | 7:00 AM, Mon 20 Jul | 15:00, Sun 19 Jul | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford NJ |
How to Watch in New Zealand
TVNZ is the exclusive New Zealand rights holder for the World Cup, and both weekend matches are live and free on TVNZ 1 and the TVNZ+ streaming service. No subscription is required for the free-to-air coverage.
- France vs England (3rd place) — 9:00 AM NZST, Sunday 19 July
- Spain vs Argentina (Final) — 7:00 AM NZST, Monday 20 July
For anyone who wanted every match of the tournament in one purchase, TVNZ’s one-off NZ$44.95 Event Pass has covered the full schedule on TVNZ+. For the final weekend specifically, the free-to-air TVNZ 1 broadcast is all you need.
The Forecast at Each Venue
- Miami (3rd place): hot and mostly dry — around 33°C (91°F) at the 17:00 local kickoff, heat index near 39°C, and only a 5% chance of rain. FIFA has mandated three-minute cooling breaks in each half. Hard Rock’s canopy covers the seats but the pitch is open to the sky.
- New Jersey (final): near-perfect — sunny, 28°C (82°F), 0% rain at kickoff, with a dry post-frontal north-westerly breeze. MetLife is open-air with no roof, and the weather could hardly be better for a final.
- France vs England (3rd place) is 9:00 AM NZST, Sunday 19 July.
- Spain vs Argentina (final) is 7:00 AM NZST, Monday 20 July.
- Both are live and free on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ — no subscription needed.
- Miami is hot (33°C) with cooling breaks; the final in New Jersey is sunny and 28°C.
For the betting angles, see our Spain vs Argentina final preview and France vs England third-place preview, plus the full NZ time schedule and the World Cup 2026 odds hub.
Broadcast details via TVNZ; kick-off times converted to NZST. Odds elsewhere on site shown in NZD via partners including Boomerang Bet.com and ZotaBet. 18+. Bet responsibly.
