The group stage is done. The 2026 FIFA World Cup has hit the knockouts, and today's slate is not messing around — Germany vs. Paraguay, Netherlands vs. Morocco, and Brazil vs. Japan are all on the card. If you're not set up to watch, now's the time to sort it out.
The tournament kicked off June 11 and runs all the way through July 19, when the final takes place. This isn't your standard single-host setup — 16 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are sharing duties, from Los Angeles and Miami to Toronto and Guadalajara. That spread has drawn some political friction, particularly around matches hosted in the US, but it hasn't dampened the football.
Where to actually watch it in the US
Fox holds the English-language rights to 70 games, including every match from the Round of 16 onward. FS1 picks up a further 34. Spanish-language coverage sits with NBCUniversal — Telemundo carries 92 games, Universo the other 12.
Without cable, here are your realistic options:
- Fox One — Fox's own app, $20/month. Simplest option if you only want Fox's coverage in one place.
- Fubo — $45.99 for the first month, then $55.99. Has Fox and FS1. A $5/month add-on unlocks 4K streams.
- Sling Select — $30/month. Cheapest route to both Fox and FS1.
- YouTube TV Sports — $65/month for the Sports package. Fox and FS1 included.
- DirecTV MySports — $50/month for the first two months. Gets you Fox and FS1 without the full package price.
- Hulu — $90/month for Fox and FS1. Spanish-language add-ons stack up fast: $4.99 for some Universo content, $11.99 extra for Telemundo.
- Peacock Premium — $10.99/month. Required for Telemundo and Universo live sports access.
Fubo offers a 7-day free trial and Hulu a 3-day one — not enough to see you through the tournament, but enough to watch a handful of knockout games without spending a penny.
Free streaming and the VPN angle
There are genuine free options, though none cover the full tournament. FIFA+ will stream select matches at no cost. FIFA and YouTube struck a deal allowing rights holders to stream the first 10 minutes of any game, plus a limited number of full matches, free on YouTube. Tubi — owned by Fox — is streaming the June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa and June 12 US vs. Paraguay matches for free.
A VPN opens up more. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, France's TF1 Player, Ireland's RTÉ Player, and Spain's RTVE Play all offer free streams in their respective countries. Spoof your location and you may be able to tap into those — legally grey territory, but widely done. Proton VPN and TunnelBear both have free tiers worth trying. Just know that platform compatibility can change without warning.
The Round of 32 wraps up July 3. After that, quarterfinals, semis, and the final on July 19. Germany, Brazil, and the Netherlands all play today — the knockout bracket starts taking shape right now.
