As anticipation builds towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, four of international football’s most compelling sides—Brazil, France, Croatia and Colombia—will converge in the United States this March for a high-profile friendly tournament titled the ‘Road to 26’ series. Designed as a key preparatory phase ahead of the World Cup scheduled for June, the series promises elite competition, global attention and valuable tactical rehearsal for the participating nations.
The respective football associations confirmed the fixtures on Thursday, revealing that the matches will be staged during the FIFA international window across three major American regions: Boston, Orlando (Florida), and the Washington DC metropolitan area. With the United States set to co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, the choice of venues adds symbolic and strategic significance to the tour.
According to the latest FIFA rankings, France enter the series as the highest-ranked side in third place, followed by Brazil in fifth, Croatia tenth and Colombia thirteenth. The marquee fixture will take place on 26 March at the iconic Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil will face Didier Deschamps’ France in what is expected to be a blockbuster encounter. The match will kick off at 2:00 a.m. Bangladesh time, drawing a global television audience.
Action continues the following day in Orlando, where Colombia will meet Croatia at the Camping World Stadium. Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runners-up and third-place finishers in 2022, will be keen to reaffirm their credentials against the technically gifted South Americans. On 29 March, France will return to action against Colombia at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, before the series concludes on 1 April with Brazil facing Croatia in Orlando.
Match Schedule at a Glance
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Kick-off (Bangladesh Time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 March | Brazil vs France | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough | 2:00 a.m. |
| 27 March | Colombia vs Croatia | Camping World Stadium, Orlando | 5:30 a.m. |
| 29 March | Colombia vs France | Northwest Stadium, Landover | 1:00 a.m. |
| 1 April | Brazil vs Croatia | Orlando | 6:00 a.m. |
The series also carries commercial and cultural intrigue. Brazilian media have reported that the Seleção will unveil their new 2026 World Cup kits during these matches—wearing the traditional yellow against France and a blue alternate strip versus Croatia. France and Croatia are likewise expected to debut new sporting apparel, adding an extra layer of interest for supporters and sponsors alike.
Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) president Samir Xaud had earlier hinted at these fixtures following the World Cup group-stage draw in Washington DC on 5 December, though dates and venues were only finalised later that month.
Looking ahead, the expanded 48-team World Cup will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026, hosted across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Brazil have been drawn into Group C, where they will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland—making the ‘Road to 26’ series a crucial proving ground as the countdown to football’s grandest stage gathers pace.