2018 World Cup TV schedule for all 64 matches to watch in Japan

The time has finally come today since Germany won the championship in Brazil in 2014. For people who plan to enjoy watching the world festival on TV in Japan, I made the perfect TV schedule guide, which considers the time difference with Russia, and indicates public TV stations to watch in real time.

スポンサーリンク

The 21st World Cup is held from June 15 to July 16

The opening match, Russia against Saudi Arabia, is supposed to start at 12am on June 15 for Japan time. The 6 hour time difference between Japan and Russia might cause lack of sleep for people in Japan during the World Cup sometimes, but who cares for the next day to share the pleasures with many people over the world? Before the exciting ceremony in a few hours, let’s see the groups again to expect which countries could go through.

For watching all 64 matches comfortably on TV, you should know the Japanese TV channel (NHK : channel 1, Nippon TV : channel 4, TV asahi : channel 5, TBS : channel 6, Fuji TV : channel 8), and when the matches starts for Japan time in advance. Here’s the all schedule from group stages to final not to miss your favorite matches.

Group stages

Friday June 15

Russia vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 12am – NHK

Egypt vs Uruguay (Group A) – Ekaterinburg – 9pm – Fuji TV

Saturday June 16

Morocco vs Iran (Group B) – St Petersburg – 12am – NHK

Portugal vs Spain (Group B) – Sochi – 3am – NHK

France vs Australia (Group C) – Kazan – 7pm – NHK

Argentina vs Iceland (Group D) – Moscow (Spartak) – 10pm – NHK

Sunday June 17

Peru vs Denmark (Group C) – Saransk – 1am – Fuji TV

Croatia vs Nigeria (Group D) – Kaliningrad – 4am – Nippon TV

Costa Rica vs Serbia (Group E) – Samara – 9pm – Fuji TV

Monday June 18

Germany vs Mexico (Group F) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 12am – NHK

Brazil vs Switzerland (Group E) – Rostov-on-Don – 3am – NHK

Sweden vs South Korea (Group F) – Nizhny Novgorod – 9pm – NHK

Tuesday June 19

Belgium vs Panama (Group G) – Sochi – 12am – Fuji TV

Tunisia vs England (Group G) – Volgograd – 3am – NHK

Colombia vs Japan (Group H) – Saransk – 9pm – NHK

Wednesday June 20

Poland vs Senegal (Group H) – Moscow (Spartak) – 12am – NHK

Russia vs Egypt (Group A) – St Petersburg – 3am – Nippon TV

Portugal vs Morocco (Group B) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 9pm – TV asahi

Thursday June 21

Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Rostov-on-Don – 12am – NHK

Iran vs Spain (Group B) – Kazan – 3am – Nippon TV

Denmark vs Australia (Group C) – Samara – 9pm – Fuji TV

Friday June 22

France vs Peru (Group C) – Ekaterinburg – 12am – NHK

Argentina vs Croatia (Group D) – Nizhny Novgorod – 3am – Nippon TV

Brazil vs Costa Rica (Group E) – St Petersburg – 9pm – TV asahi

Saturday June 23

Nigeria vs Iceland (Group D) – Volgograd – 12am – NHK

Serbia vs Switzerland (Group E) – Kaliningrad – 3am – NHK

Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G) – Moscow (Spartak) – 9pm – Fuji TV

Sunday June 24

South Korea vs Mexico (Group F) – Rostov-on-Don – 12am – TV asahi

Germany v Sweden (Group F) – Sochi – 3am – TBS

England vs Panama (Group G) – Nizhny Novgorod – 9pm – NHK

Monday June 25

Japan vs Senegal (Group H) – Ekaterinburg – 12am – Nippon TV

Poland vs Colombia (Group H) – Kazan – 3am – TBS

Uruguay vs Russia (Group A) – Samara – 11pm – TBS

Saudi Arabia vs Egypt (Group A) – Volgograd – 11pm – NHK

Tuesday June 26

Spain vs Morocco (Group B) – Kaliningrad – 3am- Nippon TV

Iran vs Portugal (Group B) – Saransk – 3am – NHK

Denmark vs France (Group C) – Moscow (Luzhniki) – 11pm – TV asahi

Australia vs Peru (Group C) – Sochi – 11pm – NHK

Wednesday June 27

Nigeria vs Argentina (Group D) – St Petersburg – 3am – NHK

Iceland vs Croatia (Group D) – Rostov-on-Don – 3am – Nippon TV

South Korea vs Germany (Group F) – Kazan – 11pm – NHK

Mexico vs Sweden (Group F) – Ekaterinburg – 11pm – TBS

Thursday June 28

Serbia vs Brazil (Group E) – Moscow (Spartak) – 3am – NHK

Switzerland vs Costa Rica (Group E) – Nizhny Novgorod – 3am – Fuji TV

Japan vs Poland (Group H) – Volgograd – 11pm – Fuji TV

Senegal vs Colombia (Group H) – Samara – 11pm – NHK

Friday June 29

England vs Belgium (Group G) – Kaliningrad – 3am – NHK

Panama vs Tunisia (Group G) – Saransk – 3am – Nippon TV

Round of 16

Saturday June 30

Group C winner vs Group D runner-up – Kazan, 11pm (Match 50) – TBS

Sunday July 1

Group A winner vs Group B runner-up- Sochi, 3am (Match 49) – NHK

Group B winner vs Group A runner-up- Moscow (Luzhniki), 11pm (Match 51) – TBS

Monday July 2

Group D winner vs Group C runner-up – Nizhny Novgorod, 3am (Match 52) – TV asahi

Group E winner vs Group F runner-up – Samara, 11pm (Match 53) – NHK

Tuesday July 3

Group G winner vs Group H runner-up – Rostov-on-Don, 3am (Match 54) – NHK

Group F winner vs Group E runner-up – St Petersburg 11pm (Match 55) – TV asahi

Wednesday July 4

Group H winner vs Group G runner-up – Moscow (Spartak), 3am (Match 56) – NHK

Quarter-finals

Friday July 6

Winner match 49 vs Winner match 50 – Nizhny Novgorod, 11pm (Match 57) – TBS

Saturday July 7

Winner match 53 vs Winner match 54 – Kazan, 3am (Match 58) – TBS

Winner match 55 vs Winner match 56 – Samara, 11pm (Match 60) – NHK

Sunday July 8

Winner match 51 vs Winner match 52 – Sochi, 7pm (Match 59) – NHK

Semi-finals

Wednesday July 11

Winner match 57 vs Winner match 58 – St Petersburg, 3am (Match 61) – TV asahi

Thursday July 12

Winner match 59 vs Winner match 60 – Moscow (Luzhniki), 3am (Match 62) – NHK

Third place play-off

Saturday July 14

Loser match 61 vs Loser match 62 – St Petersburg, 11pm – TV asahi

Final

Monday July 16

Moscow (Luzhniki), 12am – NHK


Do you think which country win the championship this time? Reportedly, the latest expectation by AI about the possibility that Japan win, is only 0.3 % so far. Hope AI is not good enough yet to read future.