Where to Watch World Cup 2026: Country-by-Country Broadcast Guide
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, with 104 matches spread across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. FIFA sells broadcast rights region by region, and each major market typically has at least one free-to-air option alongside premium or streaming alternatives. This guide rounds up the most widely-covered markets so you can find your local broadcaster fast — always double-check your local listings closer to kickoff, since smaller markets sometimes finalise deals late.
United States
- English: Fox Sports holds the U.S. English-language rights. Expect matches across Fox (over-the-air), FS1 (cable), and the Fox Sports app for authenticated streaming.
- Spanish: Telemundo and Universo carry the tournament in Spanish, with the entire schedule also streaming on Peacock — usually the most complete on-demand option for Spanish-language coverage.
Canada
- English: Bell Media's TSN and CTV are the primary English-language broadcasters. CBC has also historically aired select matches free-to-air.
- French: TVA Sports and noovo cover the tournament in French-speaking Canada.
Mexico
Mexico typically splits World Cup rights among several major networks. Past tournaments have aired across Televisa (Canal 5), TV Azteca, and TUDN, with each broadcaster carrying a slice of the schedule plus Mexico's own matches. Streaming is available through ViX (Univision's streaming service).
United Kingdom & Ireland
The BBC and ITV traditionally share World Cup rights in the UK, both broadcasting free-to-air. Expect a split schedule where each network gets first pick of some matches. iPlayer (BBC) and ITVX (ITV) carry the same coverage online.
In Ireland, RTÉ has been the long-running national broadcaster for the World Cup, also free-to-air and available via the RTÉ Player.
France
TF1 typically carries the headline France matches and the final stages free-to-air. beIN Sports usually holds the bulk of the schedule on subscription. M6 has aired select matches in past tournaments.
Germany, Austria & Switzerland
- Germany: ARD and ZDF, the country's public broadcasters, share World Cup rights free-to-air.
- Austria: ORF, the national public broadcaster, traditionally covers the tournament.
- Switzerland: SRF, RTS, and RSI cover the German-, French- and Italian-speaking regions of the country.
Spain, Italy & Portugal
- Spain: RTVE (La 1 and Teledeporte) typically carries the World Cup free-to-air.
- Italy: RAI handles the bulk of free-to-air coverage; Sky Italia has historically held some additional rights.
- Portugal: RTP and SIC share the schedule, with SportTV picking up some additional matches.
South America
South American markets generally have rich free-to-air coverage. In Brazil, Globo and SporTV remain the home of the World Cup. Argentina sees coverage across TyC Sports and DSports, with TV Pública carrying the Argentina national team matches free-to-air. Other confederation members — Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Peru — have their own national broadcasters confirmed by their respective FA-FIFA arrangements.
Australia & Asia
- Australia: SBS carries free-to-air coverage. Optus Sport has historically streamed every match on subscription.
- Japan: Coverage typically splits across NHK, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, and TBS, with the ABEMA streaming service complementing live coverage.
- South Korea: KBS, SBS, and MBC split coverage among the three major free-to-air networks.
FIFA+ and other global options
FIFA+, FIFA's own streaming service, carries match replays, archive content, and short-form coverage globally. Whether full live matches stream there in a given market depends on local rights — in most major markets, FIFA+ is not a live alternative to the national broadcaster, but it's an excellent supplement for highlights and historic content.
If you're travelling during the tournament, the most reliable approach is to use your home broadcaster's authenticated app (where available). Coverage rights are geographically restricted, so a stream that works at home may not work abroad without additional access.
Planning your tournament
With 104 matches across 39 days, picking which games to prioritise becomes its own problem. Once group draws and kickoff times are confirmed in your local timezone, browse our full schedule to see what's on each day. The marquee matches — opening match, every knockout fixture, and the Final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 — are the safe bets to clear your calendar for.
Once you know what you're watching, our free predictor lets you pick a score for every match before the action starts. And during the tournament, our prediction league scores your picks as the results come in.