How to Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Full Streaming Guide

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday, June 11, the first in tournament history to spread its opening ceremony across three host nations on two consecutive days. Mexico goes first at 1:30 p.m. ET at Mexico City Stadium, followed by Canada at 1:30 p.m. ET in Toronto on June 12, and the United States closing the opening set at 7:30 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The same bigness that makes the tournament historic also defines how American fans will watch it: rights split between Fox and NBCUniversal, a streaming map that runs from a $20-a-month app to a $90-a-month cable replacement, and a pair of free streams for the two most-watched openers.

104 matches will play across 16 host cities from June 11 through the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Here’s exactly how to follow every game, whether you want full coverage on a single subscription, just the host-nation openers for free, or a way to tap international broadcasts from inside the US.

Three Opening Ceremonies Over Two Days

The opening ceremony format has been a single show in a single city for the entire World Cup era. 2026 breaks that pattern, and Fox Sports has the full opening ceremony schedule and performer list for all three. The ceremonies run 90 minutes before kickoff, with each city’s show tailored to the host nation’s roster of artists.

The Mexico City ceremony on June 11 leads the tournament, with Shakira, J Balvin, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Belinda, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules, Tyla, Burna Boy, and Danny Ocean on the bill ahead of Mexico vs South Africa. The Toronto ceremony on June 12 leans Canadian, with Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Michael Bublé, Nora Fatehi, and William Prince joined by Elyanna, Sanjoy, and Vegedream ahead of Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood hosts the closing ceremony, headlined by Katy Perry alongside LISA, Rema, Anitta, and Future, with USA vs Paraguay kicking off the American run. All three air on the FOX family of networks and stream live on FOX One, and Tubi simulcasts the Mexico City and Los Angeles ceremonies with their accompanying matches for free.

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

The TV and Streaming Rights Map

Fox Sports holds the English-language US rights for the third consecutive men’s World Cup, and the company’s Fox One World Cup page lays out the full breakdown. Of the 104 matches, 70 air on the Fox broadcast network, including the opening match, every USMNT group game, every Round of 16 contest through the final, and the July 19 final itself. FS1 carries the remaining 34, mostly group stage fixtures and select Round of 32 matchups.

For Spanish-language coverage, NBCUniversal’s Telemundo holds 92 of the 104 matches and Universo adds the other 12, with both networks’ feeds also available through Peacock Premium. Every match, in both languages, also streams on the Fox One app. All 104 matches stream live and on demand through a single subscription.

YouTube TV’s sports package carries Fox, FS1, and Telemundo, putting the full English and Spanish lineup on one bill. DirectTV’s MySports pack and Fubo also include Fox and FS1. The clearest single-app path to every game is Fox One; the cheapest cable-style bundle depends on whether you want Spanish coverage folded in.

The numbers that matter for planning: 104 total matches, 70 on Fox, 34 on FS1, 92 on Telemundo, 12 on Universo, 16 host cities, three host countries, 48 teams.

The Cheapest Way to Watch Every Match

Fox One is the simplest one-app answer. At $20 per month it streams every match live and on demand, with the opening ceremonies included, and it works on phones, tablets, smart TVs, and major streaming sticks. For a fan who just wants every game in English without a cable bill, that is the headline number.

Fubo’s full World Cup plan lineup runs the Sports tier at $45.99 for the first month and $55.99 a month after, which adds the rest of the Fox Sports cable ecosystem (FS1, FS2, and a Multiview mode for tracking simultaneous group stage matches). YouTube TV’s sports package, $55 a month with a 21-day free trial, folds in Telemundo for Spanish-language coverage on the same bill. DirectTV’s MySports pack lands at $50 for the first two months and $65 a month after, and includes more than 20 other sports and broadcast networks alongside Fox and FS1.

Free Options for Two of the Biggest Openers

Tubi, the Fox-owned free ad-supported streamer, is carrying the two most-watched group stage openers live at no cost. The Tubi’s free World Cup hub page confirms Mexico vs South Africa streams free on June 11 with Fox Pregame at 1:00 p.m. ET and kickoff at 3:00 p.m. ET, and USA vs Paraguay streams free on June 12 with Fox Pregame at 6:00 p.m. ET and kickoff at 9:00 p.m. ET. Both matches are also available in 4K on select devices, and replays are posted within one to two hours. A free Tubi account is the only requirement.

Beyond the Tubi games, FIFA’s own FIFA+ platform streams a selection of World Cup matches free on its website, and the new YouTube and FIFA partnership announcement opens another door. Under the deal, struck in March 2026, FIFA’s media partners can stream the first 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channels, and a select number of full matches will be available for free on YouTube as well. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström called it a way to “maximise the tournament’s impact across the ever-evolving media landscape.”

Free trials can stretch coverage further. Fubo offers a 5-day free trial, YouTube TV offers 21 days, and streaming the Mexico and US openers on Tubi requires no trial at all.

• Tubi: Mexico vs South Africa (June 11) and USA vs Paraguay (June 12), free with a Tubi account, 4K on select devices
• FIFA+: A selection of World Cup matches free on FIFA’s website
• YouTube: First 10 minutes of every match on rights-holder channels, plus a select number of full free matches under the March 2026 FIFA partnership

Watching From Abroad With a VPN

A VPN can spoof a US viewer’s location to a server in another country, opening up foreign broadcasts that may include matches the US rights map doesn’t cover, or free national streams that simply don’t exist on this side of the border. National free and ad-supported catch-up services in the UK, France, and Spain, among others, have carried World Cup matches in past tournaments, and a VPN can route a viewer to at least some of them.

Paid VPN services tend to offer more reliable streaming speeds and broader server coverage than free tiers, and compatibility with any given foreign streaming platform can change at any time. The trade-off is real: a free US app like Tubi gets you two guaranteed matches, while a VPN opens a wider door at the cost of speed, reliability, and the risk that the foreign stream geo-blocks you anyway.

Group D and the USMNT’s Path

The US Men’s National Team opens Group D against Paraguay on June 12 at 9 p.m. ET at SoFi Stadium, the same night as the US opening ceremony. The full USMNT group slate runs on the West Coast, with all three matches carried by Fox and available on Fox One.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, built around Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Folarin Balogun, faces Australia on June 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle and closes the group against Türkiye on June 25 back at SoFi Stadium. Both Paraguay and Türkiye are real tests; neither is a walkover for a team playing its first World Cup at home since 1994.

Fans buying tickets or streaming subscriptions should also keep an eye on fraud: the World Cup phishing wave already building ahead of kickoff has put 270,000 stolen fan credentials and thousands of dormant lookalike domains on standby for June 11. The opener kicks off a 39-day run, and a single subscription covers the whole thing.

• USA vs Paraguay: June 12, 9 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
• USA vs Australia: June 19, 3 p.m. ET, Lumen Field, Seattle
• USA vs Türkiye: June 25, 10 p.m. ET, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with the Mexico City opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m. ET and the first match, Mexico vs South Africa, kicking off at 3 p.m. ET. The final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

How can I watch the 2026 World Cup for free in the US?

Tubi streams Mexico vs South Africa on June 11 and USA vs Paraguay on June 12 live and free, with a free Tubi account the only requirement. FIFA+ offers a selection of additional matches at no cost, and the March 2026 YouTube and FIFA deal lets rights holders stream the first 10 minutes of every match and a select number of full matches free on their YouTube channels.

What channel is the World Cup on in the United States?

Fox Sports holds the English-language US rights, with 70 of the 104 matches on the Fox broadcast network and 34 on FS1. NBCUniversal’s Telemundo carries 92 matches in Spanish, with Universo adding the remaining 12. Every match also streams on the Fox One app, and Spanish-language feeds are available on Peacock Premium.

Do I need a cable subscription to watch every match?

No. Fox One, Fox’s own streaming app, carries all 104 matches live and on demand for $20 per month. Fubo, YouTube TV, and DirectTV’s MySports pack include Fox and FS1 on a live TV streaming plan, and Peacock Premium covers the full Spanish-language lineup on Telemundo and Universo.

How much does Fox One cost?

Fox One starts at $20 per month, with no contract required. The plan streams every World Cup 2026 match live and on demand, including the three opening ceremonies, and works across phones, tablets, smart TVs, and major streaming devices.