The tournament is on
Chicago did not land a single match. So every soccer fan in the Fox Valley needs a home base. The group stage is rolling and the big ones are still ahead. Charlie saved you the good seats.
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap · Fox Haven Square, St. Charles IL
The Quick Answer
What — Every 2026 FIFA World Cup match on a 22-foot LED wall
Where — Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap, 300 N Kirk Rd, St. Charles, IL 60174
Now playing — Group stage through June 27, then the knockouts to the July 19 Final
USA next — USA vs Australia, Friday, June 19 at 3:00 PM CT
Closed — Mondays for the entire tournament. We’re open every other day of the week.
Good to know — Family friendly by day, adult-curated after 8pm. Reservations recommended for USA matches and the Final.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and it is rolling. From June 11 through July 19, one hundred and four matches play out across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The group stage is already in full swing, and the biggest matches are still ahead of us.
Here is the catch nobody is talking about. Chicago is not hosting a single one of those matches. Not one. Which means when the whole world is watching, every fan in St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, and the rest of the Fox Valley needs somewhere to actually watch it. Somewhere with the sound up, the food coming out hot, and a screen big enough to count the blades of grass.
That somewhere is us. Simple EJ’s is a scratch-made sports restaurant built for exactly this kind of moment, and we are putting all of it on the 22-foot LED wall. We are the Fox Valley’s World Cup Headquarters, and the doors are open.
22 ft
of LED wall. Every group stage match, every USA game, every knockout round, all the way to the Final. If the world is playing, it is on the wall.
The Group Stage Is in Full Swing
The tournament kicked off June 11 at the legendary Estadio Azteca, and the group stage is rolling with three and four matches a day through June 27. There is almost always a game on, which means there is always a reason to skip cooking and pull up a chair.
The USA Matches Get the Loudest Room in Town
The USMNT is through its opener, and now the must-win matches are here. Up next is the big one: USA vs Australia on Friday, June 19 at 3:00 PM CT. Bring the family early, bring your voice, and bring whoever still owes you for the last round. When the red, white, and blue are on the wall, the whole restaurant is on its feet.
Match Day · World Cup 2026
USA vs Australia
Friday, June 19 · 3:00 PM CT
Every World Cup match on the 22-foot LED wall
Sound on. Flags flying. Real food, real screens, real community.
| Date | Match | Time (CT) |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, June 19 | USA vs Australia | 3:00 PM |
| Thu, June 25 | USA group stage finale | TBD |
| June 28 to July 3 | Round of 32 | All week |
| July 4 to 7 | Round of 16 | All week |
| Sun, July 19 | The World Cup Final | 2:00 PM |
Kickoff times are set by FIFA and can shift. We keep the latest schedule posted on the wall and on our socials, so check before you head out.
One rule for the run. We’re closed on Mondays for the entire tournament so our crew can recharge for the week ahead. Every other day, the wall is on and the kitchen is cooking. Plan your matchdays around it.
Group stage runs three and four matches a day for two straight weeks. The wall does not get a day off. Neither do the wings.
Every Group, Every Flag
From now through June 27, there is almost always a match on. That is a lot of lunches, a lot of long afternoons, and a lot of reasons to skip cooking. Whether you live and die with Brazil, Argentina, England, Mexico, or you are flying the flag for the country your family came from, your team has a seat here. Here is the full group stage, day by day.
Group Stage Schedule
June 11
-
MEX
vs
RSA
-
KOR
vs
CZE
June 12
-
CAN
vs
BIH
-
USA
vs
PAR
June 13
-
QAT
vs
SUI
-
BRA
vs
MAR
-
HAI
vs
SCO
June 14
-
AUS
vs
TUR
-
GER
vs
CUW
-
NED
vs
JPN
-
CIV
vs
ECU
-
SWE
vs
TUN
June 15
-
ESP
vs
CPV
-
BEL
vs
EGY
-
KSA
vs
URU
-
IRN
vs
NZL
June 16
-
FRA
vs
SEN
-
IRQ
vs
NOR
-
ARG
vs
ALG
June 17
-
AUT
vs
JOR
-
POR
vs
COD
-
ENG
vs
CRO
-
GHA
vs
PAN
-
UZB
vs
COL
June 18
-
CZE
vs
RSA
-
SUI
vs
BIH
-
CAN
vs
QAT
-
MEX
vs
KOR
June 19
-
USA
vs
AUS
-
SCO
vs
MAR
-
BRA
vs
HAI
-
TUR
vs
PAR
June 20
-
NED
vs
SWE
-
GER
vs
CIV
-
ECU
vs
CUW
June 21
-
TUN
vs
JPN
-
ESP
vs
KSA
-
BEL
vs
IRN
-
URU
vs
CPV
-
NZL
vs
EGY
June 22
-
ARG
vs
AUT
-
FRA
vs
IRQ
-
NOR
vs
SEN
-
JOR
vs
ALG
June 23
-
POR
vs
UZB
-
ENG
vs
GHA
-
PAN
vs
CRO
-
COL
vs
COD
June 24
-
BIH
vs
QAT
-
SUI
vs
CAN
-
MAR
vs
HAI
-
SCO
vs
BRA
-
CZE
vs
MEX
-
RSA
vs
KOR
June 25
-
CUW
vs
CIV
-
ECU
vs
GER
-
JPN
vs
SWE
-
TUN
vs
NED
-
PAR
vs
AUS
-
TUR
vs
USA
June 26
-
NOR
vs
FRA
-
SEN
vs
IRQ
-
CPV
vs
KSA
-
URU
vs
ESP
-
EGY
vs
IRN
-
NZL
vs
BEL
June 27
-
CRO
vs
GHA
-
PAN
vs
ENG
-
COL
vs
POR
-
COD
vs
UZB
-
ALG
vs
AUT
-
JOR
vs
ARG
Represent Your Country Night
The World Cup brings out the flags, and we love it. Wear your colors, claim your corner, and talk a little friendly trash with the table across the room. There is no better way to watch the beautiful game than surrounded by people who care about it just as much as you do.
Knockouts, Quarters, and a Final Worth Building a Day Around
Once the group stage wraps, every match turns into a sudden-death story. The Round of 32 starts June 28. The Round of 16 follows on July 4. Quarterfinals on July 9, semis on July 14 and 15, and then the whole thing crescendos into the Final on Sunday, July 19. That last one gets the wall all day. Make a plan, grab your people, and let us handle the rest.
The Road to the Final
Round of 32
Jun 28 – Jul 3
Round of 16
Jul 4 – 7
Quarterfinals
Jul 9
Semifinals
Jul 14 – 15
The Final
Sun, Jul 19
The Bracket
RSACANBRAJPNGERPARNEDMARCIVNORFRASWEMEXECUENGCODCANMARPARFRABRANORMEXENGFRAMARESPBELFRAESPESPARGENGARGNORENGARGSUIPORESPUSABELARGEGYSUICOLBELSENUSABIHESPAUTPORCROSUIALGAUSEGYARGCPVCOLGHAIt’s Not Just the Match. It’s the Whole Room.
Watch at home and you get the game. Come here and you get the game with the sound up, a crowd that cares, and a few ways to win while you watch. We run penalty kick contests between matches, giveaways all tournament long, and the audio is on for every single game. A World Cup goal you can hear is a World Cup goal you feel.
What You Are Actually Eating While You Watch
A sports restaurant lives or dies on the food, and ours is made from scratch by Chef Hef, who has spent more than twenty-five years building kitchens worth driving for. A few things you will want on the table:
The smashburgers. A special blend made exclusively for Simple EJ’s, smashed thin and crispy on the edges. This is the burger you order, then immediately wish you had ordered two of.
The wings. Brined, then double-fried, so they hit that crackle you can hear from the next table. Built for a match that goes to extra time.
The Tomahawk Pork Chop. A 24-ounce showpiece for the table that came hungry. And drag anything and everything through our house Simple Sauce, because we are not going to stop you.
It is Bib-worthy cooking in a room that happens to have the best screen in the Fox Valley. That is the whole idea.
Family by day. Grown-ups after dark. Simple EJ’s is family-friendly by default, so bring the kids for the afternoon matches and the USA games. Charlie puts the kids to bed at 8. After that, the grown-ups get the good seats for the late knockout drama and overtime crowds.
Order a Stella, Keep the Glass
We teamed up with Stella Artois for the tournament, and the deal is simple. Order a Stella and it pours into a limited-edition 2026 World Cup glass that is yours to take home. Drink it, love it, keep it.
While supplies last
A free World Cup glass with every Stella
When they are gone, they are gone, so the sooner you get in the better. Catch a match this week and you walk out with a souvenir from the biggest tournament on earth.
Join the Crew Before the Whole World Shows Up
The World Cup is packing this room for six straight weeks, and our members get taken care of first. Charlie’s Crew is our family membership at $23.99 a month. Founders Club is our 21-and-up membership at $14.99 a month. Both are the easiest way to make Simple EJ’s your match-day headquarters all summer long.
World Cup at Simple EJ’s: Quick Questions
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap at Fox Haven Square, 300 N Kirk Rd, St. Charles, IL shows every 2026 FIFA World Cup match on a 22-foot LED wall. Chicago is not hosting any matches, so St. Charles is the closest big-screen home for Fox Valley soccer fans.
Yes. We show every group stage match, all USA games, and the full knockout bracket through the Final on Sunday, July 19.
The USA plays Australia on Friday, June 19 at 3:00 PM CT, then closes the group stage on Thursday, June 25. Every USA match is on the big wall at Simple EJ’s.
Yes. We are family friendly by default, so bring the kids for the afternoon matches and USA games. After 8pm the atmosphere is adult-curated for the late knockout drama.
Reservations are recommended for USA matches and the July 19 Final, since those tables go fast. You can reserve online in seconds through our Resy page.
We are a scratch-made sports restaurant serving smashburgers from a special blend made exclusively for Simple EJ’s, brined double-fried wings, a 24-ounce Tomahawk Pork Chop, and our house Simple Sauce.
Yes. Order a Stella Artois during the tournament and it comes in a limited-edition 2026 World Cup glass that is yours to keep, while supplies last. We also run penalty kick contests and giveaways throughout the World Cup.
We are closed on Mondays for the entire tournament so our crew can recharge, and open every other day of the week. The wall shows matches every day we are open.
Save Your Spot for the Big Matches
Tables go fast on USA nights and Final Sunday. Reserve ahead, round up your crew, and we will have the wall warmed up and the kitchen ready.
The world is playing right now. We are right down the road at Fox Haven Square in St. Charles, and we saved you a seat.