Despite the expanded format, I believe it will only take a week longer than usual to run the World Cup, and that week will be the week when the Round of 32 happens. The group stage, perhaps unintuitively, isn't any larger than it used to be in terms of number of matches. The old group stage had 48 matches because it was 8 groups with 6 matches each, and this is still 48 matches because it's 16 groups with 3 matches each. This is probably why they went with 16 groups instead of 12 groups in the group stage.
Despite the existence of the West Coast in the U.S. and Canada that could put matches as late as 11 ET, I will be putting very few matches later than 9 ET, for the sake of the European market, which is the main footballing market. On two days of the Round of 32, when matches need to be further apart in case of extra time, there will be a couple of west coast matches starting at 7:30 PT.
Thursday, June 4
6 ET: Group A Match 1 (Team Mexico match at Estadio Azteca)
9 ET: Group B Match 1 (Team USA match at the Rose Bowl)
Friday, June 5
3 ET: Group D Match 1
6 ET: Group E Match 1
9 ET: Group C Match 1 (Team Canada match at BC Place)
Saturday, June 6
noon ET: Group F Match 1
3 ET: Group G Match 1
6 ET: Group H Match 1
9 ET: Group I Match 1
Sunday, June 7
noon ET: Group J Match 1
3 ET: Group K Match 1
6 ET: Group L Match 1
9 ET: Group M Match 1
Monday, June 8
3 ET: Group N Match 1
6 ET: Group O Match 1
9 ET: Group P Match 1
Tuesday, June 9
3 ET: Group A Match 2 (NOT a Team Mexico match)
6 ET: Group B Match 2 (NOT a Team USA match)
9 ET: Group C Match 2 (NOT a Team Canada match)
Wednesday, June 10
3 ET: Group D Match 2
6 ET: Group E Match 2
9 ET: Group F Match 2
Thursday, June 11
3 ET: Group G Match 2
6 ET: Group H Match 2
9 ET: Group I Match 2
Friday, June 12
3 ET: Group J Match 2
6 ET: Group K Match 2
9 ET: Group L Match 2
Saturday, June 13
noon ET: Group M Match 2
3 ET: Group N Match 2
6 ET: Group O Match 2
9 ET: Group P Match 2
Sunday, June 14
noon ET: Group D Match 3
3 ET: Group A Match 3 (Team Mexico match)
6 ET: Group C Match 3 (Team Canada match)
9 ET: Group B Match 3 (Team USA match)
Monday, June 15
3 ET: Group E Match 3
6 ET: Group F Match 3
9 ET: Group G Match 3
Tuesday, June 16
3 ET: Group H Match 3
6 ET: Group I Match 3
9 ET: Group J Match 3
Wednesday, June 17
3 ET: Group K Match 3
6 ET: Group L Match 3
9 ET: Group M Match 3
Thursday, June 18
3 ET: Group N Match 3
6 ET: Group O Match 3
9 ET: Group P Match 3
Friday, June 19
DAY OFF
ROUND OF 32
Saturday, June 20
Match 49: noon ET: E1 vs. F2
Match 50: 3:30 ET: G1 vs. H2
Match 51: 7 ET: A1 vs. B2
Match 52: 10:30 ET: C1 vs. D2
Sunday, June 21
Match 53: noon ET: I1 vs. J2
Match 54: 3:30 ET: K1 vs. L2
Match 55: 7 ET: M1 vs. N2
Match 56: 10:30 ET: O1 vs. P2
Monday, June 22
Match 57: 5 ET: C2 vs. D1
Match 58: 9 ET: A2 vs. B1
Tuesday, June 23
Match 59: 5 ET: E2 vs. F1
Match 60: 9 ET: G2 vs. H1
Wednesday, June 24
Match 61: 5 ET: I2 vs. J1
Match 62: 9 ET: K2 vs. L1
Thursday, June 25
Match 63: 5 ET: M2 vs. N1
Match 64: 9 ET: O2 vs. P1
Friday, June 26
DAY OFF
ROUND OF 16
Saturday, June 27
Match 65: noon ET: W49 vs. W50
Match 66: 4 ET: W53 vs. W54
Match 67: 8 ET: W51 vs. W52
Sunday, June 28
Match 68: noon ET: W55 vs. W56
Match 69: 4 ET: W59 vs. W60
Match 70: 8 ET: W57 vs. W58
Monday, June 29
Match 71: 5 ET: W61 vs. W62
Match 72: 9 ET: W63 vs. W64
Tuesday and Wednesday
DAYS OFF
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, July 2
Match 73: 9 ET: W65 vs. W67
Friday, July 3
Match 74: 9 ET: W66 vs. W68
Saturday, July 4
Match 75: 4 ET: W71 vs. W72
Match 76: 8 ET: W69 vs. W70
Sunday and Monday
DAYS OFF
SEMIFINALS
Tuesday, July 7
Match 77: 9 ET: W73 vs. W74
Wednesday, July 8
Match 78: 9 ET: W75 vs. W76
Thursday and Friday
DAYS OFF
THE THIRD-PLACE MATCH
Saturday, July 11
Match 79: 8 ET: L77 vs. L78
THE FINAL
Sunday, July 12
Match 80: 4 ET: W77 vs. W78
