Most matches are watchable — but the late slots hurt. US East Coast evening games land between 8–11 PM in Western Europe (perfect for the pub). But West Coast and Mexico City late games push past midnight, and some knockout matches won’t finish until 2–3 AM. Here’s every time slot, rated.
When to Watch: Timezone Quick Reference
All comparisons use the June daylight-saving offsets:
- East Coast (ET) kickoffs are UTC−4
- Central (CT) — UTC−5
- Mountain (MT) — UTC−6
- Pacific (PT) — UTC−7
- BST (UK) — UTC+1
- CEST (Germany/France/Spain) — UTC+2
- EEST (Greece/Finland) — UTC+3
Example: Final at MetLife
- Local NY kickoff: July 19, 15:00 ET
- UK (BST): 20:00, perfect pub slot
- Germany (CEST): 21:00, also ideal
- Greece (EEST): 22:00, late but fine
Example: Opening match at Estadio Azteca
- Local CDMX kickoff: June 11, 18:00 CT
- UK: 00:00, midnight
- Germany: 01:00, night owl only
- This is the roughest slot of the whole tournament for Europe.
Which Slots Work for You?
| Host kickoff | BST | CEST | Pub-friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT | 20:00 | 21:00 | ✅ Prime |
| 18:00 ET / 15:00 PT | 23:00 | 00:00 | ⚠️ Late but doable |
| 21:00 ET / 18:00 PT | 02:00 | 03:00 | ❌ Alarm clock |
| 12:00 CT (Azteca) | 18:00 | 19:00 | ✅ Dinner |
| 18:00 CT (Azteca) | 00:00 | 01:00 | ❌ Night owl |
Weekday Survival Strategy
Group-stage match days Tues–Fri? Focus on the 18:00 BST / 19:00 CEST slot (12:00 PT / 15:00 ET kickoffs). That’s most weekend afternoon pub sessions in Western Europe. Save the Mexico City Saturday games for a long lunch.