2026 FIFA World Cup: How to Stream Every Match, Even for Free

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday, June 11, with Mexico meeting South Africa at 3 p.m. ET in Mexico City. The tournament runs through the final on Sunday, July 19, across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Fans can stream every match without a cable subscription, and a small handful of games is free.

The opening match at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, the matches in Toronto on June 12, and the match in Los Angeles the same evening each get their own pregame ceremony, with music acts including Shakira and Michael Buble. Here is how to follow every minute of the tournament, including the options that cost nothing. The cheapest single subscription to every match on Fox and FS1 is Fox One at $20 a month. A handful of games is free on Tubi, FIFA+, and YouTube, with a VPN opening up options abroad.

The 2026 World Cup Kicks Off Across 16 Cities

The tournament opens Thursday, June 11, with group stage matches beginning at 3 p.m. ET. From there, the tournament moves through knockout matches, quarterfinals, and semifinals, with the third-place match set for Saturday, July 18, and the final on Sunday, July 19.

The tournament is the first to feature 48 teams and is spread across 16 cities in three countries. In the United States, the venues are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, East Rutherford, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. In Mexico, the venues are Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. In Canada, the venues are Toronto and Vancouver, as listed on the 2026 World Cup host cities page.

Three separate opening ceremonies will run in each of the host nations. The Mexico City ceremony at Azteca Stadium starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on June 11, the Toronto ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on June 12, and the Los Angeles ceremony at SoFi Stadium starts at 7:30 p.m. ET that same day. Each ceremony runs 90 minutes before kickoff.

Fox Holds the US Rights, Split Across Four Networks

In the United States, Fox and FS1 split the English-language broadcast. Fox carries 70 games, including every match from the Round of 16 through the final. FS1 adds 34 more group-stage games.

Spanish-language coverage sits with NBCUniversal. Telemundo broadcasts 92 games and Universo adds the remaining 12. To get the full Spanish-language slate, fans will need a subscription that includes both networks. Peacock Premium is the cheapest single service carrying both feeds.

Streaming Prices for Every World Cup Match

Fox One at $20 a month is the cheapest single subscription that streams all 104 matches. Most other options sit between $30 and $90 a month, with the highest-priced bundles adding extra fees for Spanish-language feeds.

The direct streaming service for every World Cup match covers every Fox and FS1 game in one app. Sling Select is $30 a month and includes Fox and FS1. DirecTV’s MySports base pack runs $50 a month for the first two months.

Fubo’s Sports plan costs $45.99 in the first month and $55.99 a month after, with a $5 per month add-on for 4K streams. YouTube TV’s standard plan sits at $83 a month, but the cheaper $65 Sports package gets viewers Fox and FS1. Hulu’s $90 a month plan is the highest of the bundles that include Fox and FS1, with Spanish-language access requiring a $4.99 per month Español add-on for Universo and a separate $11.99 per month add-on for Telemundo. Peacock Premium at $10.99 a month is the cheapest path to Telemundo and Universo’s combined coverage, but it carries no Fox feeds.

The full breakdown sits in the table below, and the full 2026 World Cup match schedule is on FIFA’s site. Several services charge separate add-on fees for Spanish-language feeds. Fox One is the cheapest direct subscription, and Peacock Premium is the cheapest path to Spanish coverage.

How to Watch the 2026 World Cup for Free

Three free options cover a small set of games, though none of them carry the full tournament. FIFA’s free website, FIFA+, will stream select World Cup matches at no cost. FIFA and YouTube have a broadcast deal that puts the first 10 minutes of games on YouTube, plus a select number of full matches.

Tubi, the Fox-owned free streamer, will show the Mexico vs. South Africa matchup on June 11 and the US vs. Paraguay matchup on June 12. For viewers who want a few games without a subscription, the FuboTV free trial runs seven days and Hulu’s runs three days.

None of these free paths will carry a fan through the entire tournament. A free FuboTV trial covers only the first week of group-stage games, and a three-day Hulu trial covers even less. The official YouTube channel provides the first 10 minutes of every match for free, with no subscription needed. Fans who want every minute of every game still need one of the paid services.

• FIFA+: select matches, free
• YouTube: first 10 minutes of every game, plus a select number of full matches
• Tubi: Mexico vs. South Africa (June 11) and US vs. Paraguay (June 12)
• FuboTV free trial: 7 days
• Hulu free trial: 3 days

Watching the World Cup From Abroad

A VPN lets you spoof your location to a server in another country and tap into free public broadcasters that the US does not see. Streaming-friendly VPNs also expand commentary options, letting viewers pick the language and announcer team they want. The same VPN may access free streams that exist in other countries but not in yours.

Free public-broadcast streams in the UK include BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, in France L’Equipe TV and TF1 Player, in Ireland RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play, and in Spain RTVE Play. Proton VPN and TunnelBear are among the free VPN services recommended for streaming. Proton VPN paid plans start at $2.49 a month. VPN compatibility with streaming services can change at any time, and not every match may be available on every platform.

• United Kingdom: BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub
• France: L’Equipe TV, TF1 Player
• Ireland: RTÉ Player, Virgin Media Play
• Spain: RTVE Play

The 12 Groups, From Mexico vs. South Africa to England vs. Croatia

Teams were sorted into 12 groups of four at the World Cup Draw, though a handful of squads had yet to play their qualifying matches at the time. Each group plays a round-robin, with the top teams advancing to the knockout rounds.

Group A opens the tournament, with host Mexico facing South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City. The US opens its campaign in Group D against Paraguay on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. Defending champion Argentina sits in Group J alongside Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. England opens Group L against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas.

The full group stage runs from June 11 through June 27. Group winners and runners-up advance to the Round of the 16, which begins the knockout bracket. The full match schedule is available on FIFA’s site.

• Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
• Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
• Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
• Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
• Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
• Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
• Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
• Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
• Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
• Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
• Group K: Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia
• Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

Three Opening Ceremonies, Three Different Lineups

Three opening ceremonies will run in three host cities, each with its own lineup. The Mexico City ceremony at Azteca Stadium leads the way on June 11, followed by ceremonies in Toronto and Los Angeles on June 12.

Each ceremony runs 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff, so fans can tune in on the same channel carrying the match that follows. For Mexico City, that is Telemundo for Spanish and Fox for English; for Toronto and Los Angeles, that is Fox. The lineup for each city draws on local musical traditions, with major international acts headlining the LA show.

• Mexico City (June 11, 1:30 p.m. ET): Alejandro Fernandez, Belinda, Burna Boy, Danny Ocean, J Balvin, Lila Downs, Los Angeles Azules, Mana, Shakira, Tyla
• Toronto (June 12, 1:30 p.m. ET): Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Buble, Nora Fatehi, Sanjoy, Vegedream, William Prince
• Los Angeles (June 12, 7:30 p.m. ET): Anitta, Future, Katy Perry, Lisa, Rema

USA’s Group Stage Path

The US opens its 2026 World Cup against Paraguay on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Stadium. The USMNT then faces Australia on June 19 in Seattle. The group closes with a matchup against Türkiye on June 25 at 10 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.

All three group matches air on Fox in English and on Telemundo in Spanish. A top-two finish in Group D puts the US into the knockout rounds.

The final is set for Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium. The streaming options above cover every game from start to finish. 270,000 stolen fan credentials and 3,800 dormant scam domains primed for kickoff are also already in circulation ahead of kickoff.

• June 12 @ 9 p.m. ET: USA vs. Paraguay, Los Angeles Stadium (Group D)
• June 19 @ 3 p.m. ET: USA vs. Australia, Seattle Stadium (Group D)
• June 25 @ 10 p.m. ET: USA vs. Türkiye, Los Angeles Stadium (Group D)

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?

The tournament opens Thursday, June 11, with Mexico vs. South Africa at 3 p.m. ET at Mexico City Stadium. The final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium.

What is the cheapest streaming service for every World Cup match?

Fox One at $20 a month is the cheapest single subscription that streams all 104 matches on Fox and FS1. The next-cheapest is Sling Select at $30 a month, which covers Fox and FS1 but not the Spanish-language feeds.

Can I watch the 2026 World Cup for free?

Yes, in a limited way. FIFA+ streams select matches, YouTube carries the first 10 minutes of every game and a select number of full matches, and Tubi streams Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 and the US vs. Paraguay on June 12. None of these free options will carry a fan through the entire tournament.

How can I watch the World Cup from outside the US?

A streaming-friendly VPN lets you spoof your location and tap into free public broadcasters such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub in the UK, L’Equipe TV and TF1 Player in France, RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play in Ireland, and RTVE Play in Spain. Free VPN options include Proton VPN and TunnelBear.

Which streaming service has Telemundo and Universo in Spanish?

Peacock Premium at $10.99 a month carries both Spanish-language feeds. Hulu carries them through a $4.99 per month Español add-on for Universo and a separate $11.99 per month add-on for Telemundo.

How is the 2026 World Cup group stage structured?

Teams were sorted into 12 groups of four at the World Cup Draw. The top two finishers in each group advance to the knockout rounds, beginning with the Round of 16.