How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US: schedule, time zones, and channels

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North America, and if you are watching from the US, Canada, or Mexico this summer, the schedule is on your side. Most group-stage games kick off between noon and 10 pm Eastern. Messi opens Argentina’s campaign at 9 pm Eastern on Tuesday, June 16, prime time in the US. Ronaldo captains Portugal in Houston the following afternoon at 1 pm Eastern. 

If you are an expat from the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, or Argentina living in North America, your home broadcast is coming with you. Below you will find every fixture worth circling, exact times across US time zones, and which home-country broadcasters carry which games.

If you are traveling through the US, Canada, or Mexico for the tournament itself, you will find a complete breakdown of free vs. paid broadcasters for 19 countries, plus a setup walkthrough for any device. 

FastVPN is the connection layer that holds it together, with 2,700+ servers across 100+ countries, AES-256 encryption, and a 30-second setup on Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, or mobile. 

Try FastVPN free for 30 days, then $7.88 a month. Scroll down for every major team’s fixtures in US time zones, a full broadcaster breakdown for 19 countries, and a device setup walkthrough. 

Where to watch the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico

If you are watching the World Cup from the US, the broadcasting picture is simpler than it looks. Fox Sports holds the English-language rights, and Telemundo holds the Spanish-language rights. 

Between them, every match of the 2026 World Cup is available in English and Spanish, with a meaningful free-to-air option for the tournament’s biggest fixtures. 

Watching in the US 

Fox Sports holds the English-language rights. Fox network carries 70 matches free over the air with a basic antenna, including the final on July 19. The remaining 34 matches air on FS1 via cable or live TV streaming bundles, with every match available in 4K on FOX One.

Telemundo holds the Spanish-language rights, airing 92 matches free over the air and 12 on Universo via cable. All 104 matches stream live on the Telemundo app and on Peacock (Premium or Premium Plus).

Fox’s free streaming service Tubi will simulcast the opening ceremony, Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11, and USA vs. Paraguay on June 12, all in 4K with no subscription.

Watching in Canada

Bell Media holds exclusive Canadian rights through CTV, TSN, and RDS. CTV is free-to-air, carrying Canada’s national team games, knockout rounds, and the final at no cost. TSN is the home of complete coverage with all 104 matches across TSN1 to TSN5, available on cable or via TSN+ streaming at $24.99 a month. RDS provides full French-language coverage, mirrored online via RDS GO.

For Canadian fans who want every match without cable, TSN+ is the only way to watch all 104 games.

Watching in Mexico

TelevisaUnivision and TV Azteca share Mexican rights, both free over-the-air. TelevisaUnivision airs 32 matches free on Canal 5, Las Estrellas, and Nu9ve, with the remaining 72 on its premium pay-TV channel TUDN. TV Azteca carries 32 live matches free across Azteca Uno and Azteca 7, including all Mexico national team games and the opening match on June 11.

For full tournament access in Mexico, ViX (TelevisaUnivision’s streaming platform) carries every match.

2026 World Cup schedule in Eastern, Central, and Pacific Time

Most group-stage matches land between 12 pm and 10 pm Eastern, with the biggest fixtures in prime-time evening slots. Argentina opens against Algeria at 9 pm ET on Tuesday, June 16. England vs Croatia is 4 pm ET the following day. 

Note: Kickoff times and broadcaster assignments are verified against FIFA’s official schedule as of April 2026. Times are subject to change; please confirm with FIFA or your broadcaster close to kickoff.

Messi opens at 9 pm ET Tuesday. Ronaldo follows at 1 pm ET on Wednesday.

All dates and times below are in US Eastern, Central, and Pacific Time.

• ET (US East Coast and eastern Canada)
• CT (central US)
• PT (West Coast and Vancouver)

Note for Mexico: Mexico City and Guadalajara are one hour behind US Central Time during the tournament. Tijuana is aligned with US Pacific Time.

England

ITV is broadcasting live from a New York studio for the whole tournament. They’ve got the Croatia and Panama matches, while the BBC has the Ghana game. Both channels will screen the final.

Scotland

Scotland got a prime-time draw against Brazil, the ultimate giant-killing tie. June 24 at 6 pm ET is the first Scotland-Brazil World Cup meeting since 1998, when John Collins scored a penalty against Cafu and Co in the opening match of France ’98.

Argentina

Messi’s opener against Algeria on June 16 is 9 pm Eastern, one of the marquee slots of the group stage. Argentina plays its second match on a Monday afternoon, then closes against Jordan on Saturday evening.

Brazil

Brazil vs Morocco is the pick of the opening weekend: 6 pm ET on Saturday, June 13 at MetLife. The Haiti fixture is a Friday evening in Philadelphia. Their final match against Scotland, at 6 pm ET Wednesday in Miami, is in prime time for US-based viewers.

France

France vs Senegal is 3 pm Eastern on Tuesday, midday on the West Coast, a lunch-break fixture for Californians. France closes the group against Norway on Friday, June 26, at 3 pm ET in the group-stage match: Mbappé against Haaland, two of the three best strikers in world football, for three points and probably first place.

Spain

Spain enters the 2026 World Cup as the world’s top-ranked team, opening against Cape Verde in what is likely to be a routine first match. The Uruguay fixture on June 26 kicks off at 8 pm Eastern from Guadalajara, the group finale, and probably the most intriguing match of the three.

Germany

Germany opens its campaign on the second Sunday of the tournament against Curaçao, the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. The Ivory Coast fixture is a Saturday afternoon kickoff. The final group match against Ecuador is 4 pm ET on Thursday at MetLife Stadium, which is 10 pm in Germany.

Portugal

Portugal vs DR Congo on June 17 is 1 pm Eastern, a weekday lunchtime fixture that makes for a perfect West Coast morning watch. Ronaldo’s third group match against Colombia is 7:30 pm ET on a Saturday.

Free and paid broadcasters, country by country

Not every country’s World Cup coverage is free, and “free” doesn’t always mean every match. Some markets give viewers every minute of the tournament at no cost. Others split coverage between a public broadcaster that shows selected matches and a paid platform that carries the rest.

The table below covers 19 markets, verified against FIFA’s official Media Rights Licensees (PDF) overview and individual broadcaster announcements as of April 2026.

Most of the big European and South American countries still do free-to-air: the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, the Nordics, and Argentina. Germany, France, Italy, and Spain split rights: public broadcaster for the headline matches, paid platform for the rest. If you want every Spain match, you need DAZN.

Brazil is the outlier. CazéTV streams all 104 matches free on YouTube, a setup no other major market has matched.

Why World Cup commentary differs by country

World Cup commentary varies by country because FIFA sells broadcast rights on a territory-by-territory basis. Each licensed broadcaster hires its own production team, commentators, and studio analysts, reflecting the unique football culture of the country watching.

Telemundo’s Spanish commentary has a cult following among English-speaking American viewers. Bilingual fans regularly switch from Fox to Telemundo at the moment of a goal because of the energy of the Spanish-language booth. Brazilian commentary on Grupo Globo and CazéTV is even more eccentric, while the BBC brings the measured, tactics-led analysis UK viewers expect.

FastVPN enables access to home-country commentary from anywhere in North America. The app installs in 30 seconds on Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, or mobile. 

Try FastVPN free for 30 days, then $7.88 a month. Install once, use it on every screen you own with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Setting up FastVPN’s smart TV app on your devices

FastVPN’s smart TV app runs on almost everything you’d use to stream. Each install takes about 30 seconds, and you can have the same account running across your TV, phone, and laptop at the same time.

Android TV and Google TV

Open the Google Play Store on your TV, search for FastVPN, and install. Sign in with your account or scan a QR code from your phone to skip the on-screen keyboard. Pick a server, connect, and you’re in. Works on Sony, Hisense, TCL, and most Android-based smart TVs.

Fire TV and Fire Stick

Open the Amazon Appstore, search for FastVPN, install, and scan a QR code from your phone to log in. Works across every Fire TV generation from the cheap Stick to the 4K Max.

Apple TV

Open the App Store, install, sign in, and connect. Requires tvOS 17 or later; any Apple TV from 2022 onward will run it.

iPhone and iPad

App Store, install, sign in. Your mobile connection routes through FastVPN whenever the app is active. Useful for hotel Wi-Fi and airport networks where the security is anyone’s guess.

Android phones and tablets

Same setup process as the Google Play Store.

Samsung, LG, Roku, and older TVs

These platforms don’t have native VPN apps. The workaround is to install FastVPN on your home router, which automatically routes every device on your network through the VPN. 

Get FastVPN set up before June 11. 

Your 2026 World Cup viewing plan: US, Canada, and Mexico 

The 2026 World Cup is the most exciting sporting tournament in the US time zones in decades. Messi opens at 9 pm ET, with Ronaldo following at 1 pm the next day, with England and Brazil in prime-time afternoon and evening slots. For US-based fans, the Fox network, plus Tubi, covers the biggest moments for free, and FOX One or Peacock unlocks the rest for less than a Netflix subscription.

The global picture is more interesting. Some countries, such as the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, Poland, Argentina, and Mexico, broadcast every match free. Others split the tournament between free and paid platforms. 

Brazil streams every match free on YouTube. The commentary differs wildly across markets, and each broadcaster brings a distinct production style to the same 104 matches.

Whichever setup you have, FastVPN takes 30 seconds to install and gives you access to servers in 100+ countries. Set it up before June 11, and you’re ready for 39 days of football.

Try FastVPN free for 30 days. Renews at $7.88 a month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you’re traveling to India, Pakistan, or the Gulf during the World Cup, the broadcaster situation is different. See our separate guide: How to stream Messi and Ronaldo live at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

2026 World Cup FAQs for expats

When does the 2026 FIFA World Cup start?

The tournament starts on June 11, 2026, with Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The final is on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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

Fox will show 70 of the 104 matches free over the air on its main network channel with a basic antenna. Tubi will stream the opening ceremony, the Mexico vs South Africa opener, and the USA vs Paraguay free. Telemundo airs 92 matches free over the air in Spanish.

What is the cheapest way to watch every match in the US?

FOX ONE streams all 104 matches in 4K without a cable subscription. Peacock Premium carries all 104 matches in Spanish. Both offer monthly subscriptions that can be canceled at any time after the tournament ends.

Does a VPN work on my smart TV?

Most modern streaming devices support VPN apps natively: Fire TV, Apple TV (tvOS 17 or later), Android TV, and Google TV all run FastVPN directly. Samsung, LG, Roku, and older smart TVs don’t have native VPN apps, but you can install FastVPN on your home router to automatically route every device on your network through a VPN. Phones and tablets on iOS or Android are all supported via their app stores.

How much does FastVPN cost?

You can try FastVPN free for 30 days. After that, plans continue at $7.88 a month. One VPN subscription covers all your devices, including smart TV, phone, tablet, and laptop, with no extra charges or device limits.

Can I use a VPN while traveling?

VPNs are legal in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most Western countries. Individual streaming services and broadcasters have their own terms of service, which users should review. VPNs are commonly used by travelers for privacy and security on public networks.

What time does England play in Eastern Time?

England vs Croatia kicks off at 4 pm ET on Wednesday, June 17. England vs Ghana is 4 pm ET on Tuesday, June 23. England vs Panama is 5 pm ET on Saturday, June 27.

What time does Messi play in Eastern Time?

Messi’s opening match, Argentina vs Algeria, kicks off at 9 pm ET on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

What time does Ronaldo play in Eastern Time?

Portugal vs DR Congo kicks off at 1 pm ET on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

What time does France vs Norway kick off in Eastern Time?

France vs Norway kicks off at 3 pm ET on Friday, June 26, 2026. That’s 12 pm Pacific and 2 pm Central. It’s the last France group match and one of the standout fixtures of the group stage.

Where is the 2026 World Cup final?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at 3 pm ET. Both the Fox network and Peacock in Spanish will carry the match.

Can I watch the 2026 World Cup on YouTube?

FIFA has partnered with YouTube to stream the first 10 minutes of every match free on authorized broadcaster channels. In Brazil, CazéTV will stream all 104 matches free on YouTube, the most open arrangement of any major market. Most other markets reserve full live streaming for licensed broadcaster platforms.

Is the 2026 World Cup free in the US?

Partly. Fox airs 70 of the 104 matches free over the air with a basic antenna. Tubi streams the opening ceremony, Mexico vs. South Africa, and USA vs. Paraguay for free in 4K. Telemundo airs 92 matches free over the air in Spanish. Full tournament coverage on FS1, FOX One, or Peacock requires a subscription.