The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11th, and if you haven't sorted your streaming situation yet, now's the time. Today's slate includes Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, Spain vs. Cabo Verde, Iran vs. New Zealand, and Belgium vs. Egypt — all Group Stage matches that could shape who advances and who goes home early.
Here's the reality: you don't need cable to watch any of it. But you do need to know where to look.
Where to Stream the 2026 World Cup
In the US, Fox holds the English-language rights to 70 games — every match from the Round of 16 through the Final. FS1 covers an additional 34. On the Spanish-language side, Telemundo carries 92 matches with Universo handling the remaining 12.
Your main streaming options, ranked roughly by cost:
- Fox One – Fox's own app. $20/month, every Fox match in one place. Cleanest option if you only want English coverage.
- Sling Select – $30/month, gets you Fox and FS1.
- Fubo – $45.99 for the first month, $55.99 after. Existing subscribers can add a 4K streams package for $5/month.
- DirecTV – The MySports base pack at $50/month covers Fox and FS1 for the first two months.
- YouTube TV – The Sports package at $65/month includes Fox and FS1, a step down from the standard $83/month plan.
- Peacock Premium – $10.99/month, needed for Telemundo and Universo Spanish-language coverage.
- Hulu – $90/month for Fox and FS1, with Spanish add-ons available at extra cost. The most expensive option here, hard to justify.
Free trials exist. Fubo offers seven days; Hulu gives you three. Neither gets you through the group stage on its own, but they're worth using strategically around matches you care most about.
Actually Free Options (With Caveats)
FIFA+ will stream select matches at no cost on their website. FIFA and YouTube also have a deal allowing rights holders to broadcast the first 10 minutes of games and a limited number of full matches for free on YouTube. Tubi — Fox's free streaming platform — will carry the June 11th Mexico vs. South Africa and June 12th US vs. Paraguay matches without a subscription.
That's it. Don't expect to freeload your way through the quarterfinals.
A VPN opens up more options, particularly for free international broadcasts. BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub in the UK, TF1 Player and L'Equipe TV in France, RTÉ Player in Ireland, and RTVE Play in Spain all carry World Cup coverage at no cost to local viewers. Spoof your location to one of those countries and you may get in — though VPN compatibility with streaming platforms can change without warning. Proton VPN and TunnelBear both offer free tiers worth trying.
Today's Fixtures and the Full Group Stage Picture
The tournament runs across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the Final scheduled for July 19th. The expanded 2026 format features 48 teams sorted into 12 groups of four — meaning more matches, more upsets, and more nights where you'll wish you'd sorted a reliable stream sooner.
Today's Group H clash between Spain and Cabo Verde in Atlanta looks straightforward on paper, but Spain's odds could drift fast if Cabo Verde cause any early problems. The Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay fixture in Miami is a more open match — Uruguay have the pedigree but Saudi Arabia showed at Qatar 2022 they can produce a result against anyone on the right day.
Group G's Iran vs. New Zealand in Los Angeles and Belgium vs. Egypt in Seattle round out the day. Belgium will be expected to win, but their recent tournament form hasn't matched their generational talent. Egypt are dangerous enough to keep that result from being a foregone conclusion.
The full schedule is available on FIFA's official website. US fans will want to circle June 19th — USA vs. Australia in Seattle — as their Group D opener.
