The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, with matches hosted at venues across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico leading up to the final on July 19. A record 48 teams will be competing in 104 matches over more than five weeks of soccer.
In the U.S., World Cup matches are being broadcast on Fox and FS1 in English and on Telemundo and Universo in Spanish, so if you have a cable package or live TV streaming service with these channels included, you are already set. If you don’t, there are other ways to watch, in some cases at little to no cost.
How to watch the World Cup for free
There is no streaming service in the U.S. that is entirely free for the duration of the 2026 World Cup, though you can piece together free trials (which we’ll get into below). Tubi will be streaming the opening ceremony and two early matches: Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 and the U.S. vs. Paraguay on June 12.
Alternatively, you can use a trusted VPN to watch free global coverage. BBC iPlayer and ITVX (UK) as well as SBS on Demand (Australia) are good options, though there are feeds from a number of other countries across Europe. FIFA apparently realizes that lots of folks will be catching games this way—ExpressVPN (which also happens to be a top VPN pick for 2026 by our sister site, CNET) is an official FIFA partner for the 2026 World Cup, and is running some related promotions.
Finally, a free (ish) option is to use over-the-air (OTA) TV. You’ll need to purchase a digital antenna and have good reception. You can check the FCC’s DTV coverage map to see what signal strength is available at your location.
Watch the World Cup on Fox One
Fox One is Fox’s own streaming service, and you can catch every game here. There’s a three-day free trial, after which you’ll pay $20 per month. This is a reasonably priced option if you care only about watching the World Cup and Fox content.
Sign up for a live TV streaming service to watch the World Cup
If you don’t already have a live TV streaming subscription, you can try one out for the World Cup. Several offer free trials of various lengths, after which you can pay for a month and then cancel. Make sure you check the channel listings to ensure Fox and FS1 (and/or Telemundo and Universo) are included in your local market.
What do you think so far?
YouTube TV: YouTube TV is a great option for sports fans, and there’s currently a 10-day free trial promotion. After that, you’ll pay $68 per month for a full channel lineup or $55 for the sports plan.
Hulu + Live TV: $90 per month, three-day free trial
DirecTV Stream: $50 per month, five-day free trial
Fubo TV: $46 per month with current promo, five-day free trial
Watch the Spanish language broadcast on Peacock
Peacock is carrying every match on Telemundo with commentary in Spanish (audio and subtitles). The streaming service’s Premium tier costs $11 per month. If you have an Instacart+ or Walmart+ subscription, you can get Peacock for free.
When are the 2026 World Cup matches?
The tournament kicks off on June 11, with the group stage running through June 27. From there, knockout rounds begin:
Round of 32: June 28–July 3
Round of 16: July 4–7
Quarterfinals: July 9–11
Semifinals: July 14 and 15
Third-place match: July 18
Final: July 19
The final match will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.