The FIFA World Cup has officially started, four years after Argentina’s victory, and Lionel Messi and his team are trying to defend their title in a tense match. We’ve explored your viewing options and compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the World Cup, including free and global streaming options for every match.
If you don’t want to scroll any further, we’ve got you covered. You can stream every game live on FOX and FS1 via FOX One or the live TV service in the US, free on SBS On Demand in Australia and free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, plus plenty of other viewing options around the world (which we’ll cover below). You can access your streaming options from anywhere using a VPN. Keep reading to learn more about the tournament, whether you plan to watch from home or attend in person.
Where to watch the World Cup: quick links
Where to watch the World Cup for free
Several countries around the world offer free access to World Cup broadcasts. In Australia, all matches will be available for free on SBS On Demand. In the UK, all matches will be split between BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
Other regions offer selected games for free, often focusing on their national team matches and big matches in recent tournaments, with the rest available through a paid service. In Spain, some matches will be available for free on RTVE Play. In Italy, RaiPlay will offer free streaming of select matches. M6 offers several free matches in France. Tabii Turkey also has many free live streams in Arabic.
Want to access some of these free World Cup viewing options outside of the above countries? Next, we’ll show you how to bypass these geographic restrictions.
How to watch the World Cup from anywhere in the world
Football fans who are away from their streaming service during any notable matches can still access their free viewing experience using a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are convenient tech tools that allow people to temporarily change the virtual location on their electronic devices. They are popular among people who want to improve their cybersecurity and keep up with their regular websites and apps when traveling abroad.
NordVPN is our top recommendation and one of the best VPNs on the market. It’s fast, offers a huge selection of servers around the world, and has a useful 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it doesn’t work for you.
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How to use a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don’t already have one.
- Install it on the device you use for viewing.
- Turn it on and specify the location of your streaming service.
- Go to your streaming service and create an account if necessary.
- Enjoy the matches.
Where to watch the World Cup in the USA
All 104 World Cup games will be broadcast on FOX or Fox Sports 1 (FS1) in the United States. FOX offers live streaming equivalent FOX One for $20 per month with a three-day free trial. You can also subscribe to the service as an add-on to Prime Video. If you’re looking for a service with extra channels or a longer free trial, you might be interested in one of the best streaming services we’ve tested.
Fubo offers FOX and FS1 coverage in its Sports+News plan, as well as more than 25 other key channels. The streaming package also gives you unlimited access to ESPN. Sports+News costs $56 per month, but new users can get $10 off your first month after a 5-day free trial. FOX and FS1 are also available in Pro and Elite plans.
YouTube TV is another live TV service with wide coverage of FOX and FS1 channels. A special offer can help new users get $75 off YouTube TV for five months. (that’s a $15/month discount every month for a five-month period). The sale will reduce the price of YouTube TV’s basic plan from $83 per month to just $68 per month. There’s also a sports plan with FOX and FS1 that costs $65 per month, but new users can get $10/month discount for first 12 months. The live streaming service usually offers a free trial for new customers.
If you want coverage in Spanish, Telemundo has US broadcast rights and all 104 matches are available to stream on Peacock with Spanish commentary. Peacock’s sports-focused tiers start at $11 per month for Peacock Premium, but you’ll also be able to watch the first couple days of the tournament with the stripped-down Select plan.
Where to watch the World Cup in Great Britain
Every World Cup match will be available for free in the UK. Coverage is split between the BBC and ITV, meaning fans can stream all matches live using a combination of BBC iPlayer and ITVX. These are free streaming options that only require creating an account to view.
Where to watch the World Cup in Australia
This is good news for Australia. All 104 World Cup matches will be available in one place on SBS, SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand. This means you can stream all games live via SBS On Demand, which simply requires you to create an account if you’re not already logged in.
Where to watch the World Cup in Spain
RTVE will host several World Cup matches in Spain. This means fans will be able to stream live on RTVE Play for free. You just need to create an account and then you are all set to start browsing. The reports will cover games with the Spanish national team, as well as other important matches. Football fans in Spain hoping to watch every World Cup match will need a paid subscription through DAZN.
Where to watch the World Cup in Italy
Select matches will be broadcast via RAI in Italy, meaning the broadcast will be free to stream via Rai Play. Italian FIFA fans hoping to watch every World Cup match will need a paid DAZN subscription, which will provide access to all 104 matches.
Where to watch the World Cup in Germany
In Germany, selected World Cup coverage will be available free of charge through ARD and ZDF. For full coverage of the entire tournament in Germany, including all early group stage matches, fans will need a paid subscription to MagentaTV.
Which countries were excluded?
16 teams were eliminated after the group stage, and 32 advanced to the first round of the playoffs. Curaçao, Czech Republic, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, New Zealand, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and Uzbekistan were eliminated from the group stage.
South Africa, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Sweden, Ecuador, DR Congo, Senegal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Croatia, Algeria, Australia, Cape Verde and Ghana were eliminated in the round of 16.
Canada, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, USA, Egypt and Colombia were eliminated in the round of 16. As a result of these knockouts, all three co-organizers of the tournament were eliminated.
Where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?
Typically the FIFA World Cup is held in one country (with the exception of Japan and South Korea in 2002), but the 2026 tournament will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States. In Canada, the host cities are Toronto and Vancouver. In Mexico, the host cities are Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey. US host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The final, scheduled for July 19, will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Is this a bigger World Cup tournament than in past years?
If you looked at the TV Guide and thought there was many matches and teams, you are not alone. 2026 will be the largest FIFA World Cup tournament to date. The tournament was expanded from 32 to 48 teams, almost doubling the number of matches scheduled. This change has increased the number of teams and groups in the group stages and means the knockout stages begin with a new round of 16 before the round of 16.
Who would be most excited about winning the World Cup?
On the eve of the tournament, Spain was the favorite to win the FIFA World Cup. On DraftKings (pre-World Cup), Spain led the way with +450, followed by France (+475), England (+700), Portugal (+800), Brazil (+950) and Argentina (+950).
Previous World Cup winners
Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, won the 2022 World Cup. Previous winners include France (2018), Germany (2014), Spain (2010), Italy (2006), Brazil (2002), France (1998), Brazil (1994), West Germany (1990), Argentina (1986), Italy (1982), Argentina (1978), West Germany (1974), Brazil (1970), England (1966), Brazil (1962), Brazil. (1958), West Germany (1954), Uruguay (1950), Italy (1938), Italy (1934) and Uruguay (1930).
When and where will the next men’s world championships take place?
The next men’s World Cup will take place in 2030. Most of the games will be played by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with one match each taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. These South American games commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first FIFA World Cup, which took place in Uruguay in 1930.
When and where will the Women’s World Cup take place?
The next Women’s World Cup is scheduled for 2027. Brazil will host the tournament for the first time. Spain are the last women’s World Cup winners, beating England 1-0 in the 2023 final. The US previously won back-to-back in 2019 and 2015.
How to get tickets to the World Cup?
Getting tickets to the World Cup proved to be a difficult task. The tournament is incredibly popular and the initial release of FIFA tickets caused some confusion. Our team has found that some of the best prices and variety of seats are hitting the resale market right now. You can find out more in our guide to World Cup tickets.
2026 FIFA World Cup schedule
- Group stages: June 11–27.
- 1/8 finals: June 28 – July 3.
- 1/8 finals: July 4–7.
- Quarterfinals: July 9–11.
- Semi-finals: July 14–15.
- Play-off for third place: July 18.
- Final: July 19.
Note. Using a VPN is illegal in some countries, and using a VPN to access region-locked streaming content may violate some services’ terms of use. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.