How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 today: 10 ways to stream (including free options)
'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
With more teams competing than ever, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest sporting events of all time. Action kicked off on June 11, and the games run through July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico. There's no shortage of ways to watch, since all the games will be broadcast live. But what are your options if you don't have an expensive cable package?
Also: The best live TV streaming services of 2026: Expert tested
You're in luck. There are several options to watch the World Cup for free or low cost (or at least much cheaper than regular cable). From absolutely free to free trials to affordable subscriptions, here's a look at your best options to watch or stream the World Cup action without blowing your budget.


How to stream the World Cup 2026
If you're traveling and blocked from your usual streaming services, or want to stream the World Cup from another country's free broadcast, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN can also help protect you from cyberattacks if you're streaming games on public Wi-Fi. ExpressVPN is an official FIFA partner and our tested pick for the fastest VPN for streaming, making it a solid choice.
Also: ExpressVPN review: One of the fastest VPNs we've tested
In case you forgot or never knew, over-the-air broadcast (OTA) TV is still a thing, and you can probably pick up all of your local networks and more with an old-fashioned OTA antenna. Enter your address here to see which stations you can get.
These antennas, which won't break the bank (our pick for the best cheap model is this one from Best Buy for $20), connect to the cable input in the back of your TV. You won't get any fancy features like pausing or recording, but you will be able to watch. Since Fox has the broadcast rights for the World Cup, the vast majority of matches will be available (70 out of 104). Your local Telemundo stations will likely be broadcasting some matches in Spanish. You can check your local listings for times here.
Also: I found 15 Amazon deals on editor-approved tech already live for Prime Day
Fox holds the rights for the World Cup this year, and you can stream directly from the source. Fox One gives you three days free, after which it's $20 a month. This is one of the cheaper options if you only want to watch the World Cup and aren't concerned about any other channels.
Peacock may be the cheapest way to stream the action, but it comes with a catch. You can stream all 104 matches through Telemundo on Peacock, but the commentary will be in Spanish. You can score a subscription for about $10 a month, depending on which tier you choose, so you can get the whole World Cup for about $20. If you're a Walmart+ subscriber or an Instacart+ subscriber, you get Peacock, including the World Cup, for free.
If you just want to check in on the action here and there, Tubi, a free streaming service, will broadcast the opening ceremony and two matches live: Mexico versus South Africa on Thursday, June 11, and the US Men's National Team versus Paraguay on Friday, June 12. Tubi will also offer replays and recaps, edited game versions, highlight clips, and daily recaps of goals and standout plays.
If you're fine with audio-only, Fox has partnered with the iHeartRadio app to provide live English-language broadcasts of all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup. You can download this app on your Android or
YouTube TV is an incredibly popular live TV streaming service (and our pick for the best live TV streaming service overall) that will get you access to your local Fox station and all of the World Cup games. It offers a 10-day free trial. It's usually $83 a month, but you can get it for $68 a month for the first three months if you're a new user.
When is the World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place from Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, July 19. The soccer tournament will be hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with 48 teams playing 104 matches.
What channel is the World Cup on?
Fox owns the rights to the World Cup 2026, so games will be broadcast live on the channel or the Fox One streaming service, as well as several others that offer Fox, like YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.
