The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is underway, and broadcasters have published how to watch every one of the tournament’s 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada — useful information for anyone checking world cup standings today and trying to catch live games.
There are hard numbers behind the coverage: 104 matches in total, with 78 games staged in the U.S. and 13 apiece in Canada and Mexico. FOX and NBCUniversal share the U.S. rights; FOX is airing a record 40 matches in primetime and viewers with an antenna or access to the FOX network channel through a smart TV can watch 70 matches for free. Spanish-language coverage is widespread — every match will be televised on NBC-owned Telemundo and Universo, and 92 of the 104 matches can be watched for free in Spanish on Telemundo. All matches are available to stream via FOX One and the FOX Sports app, while Peacock holds exclusive Spanish-language streaming rights. Two early games were offered gratis on the ad-supported streamer Tubi: Mexico’s June 11 opener against South Africa and the U.S. opener against Paraguay on June 12.
The U.S. schedule you need now: the Americans opened on Friday, June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, beating Paraguay 4-1. The next U.S. group-stage matches are Friday, June 19 at 3 p.m. ET against Australia at Lumen Seattle, and Thursday, June 25 at 10 p.m. ET against Turkey at SoFi Stadium. The group stage runs through June 27. The tournament itself began June 11 with Mexico hosting South Africa in Mexico City; the U.S. and Canada played their first games on June 12 in Los Angeles and Toronto, respectively.
There are several practical paths to free viewing. If you have a TV antenna or free access to the FOX channel on a smart TV you can see 70 matches without a subscription. Spanish-speaking viewers can watch most matches on Telemundo at no extra cost, and many matches stream on the FOX apps. Tubi has already streamed at least two games free, and on-demand options are being posted across platforms. Still, live attendance is another matter: ticket inventory for in-person matches appears likely to be scarce and expensive even as multiple broadcast and streaming options make home viewing widely available. That mismatch — packed global interest and hard-to-get seats — underscores the tournament’s reach.
Players and commentators have stressed the scale. "Imagine, with this World Cup, a Super Bowl every single day for five weeks," said Tim Ream, and he added, "It's not an accident that 5 billion people will be watching." Those remarks explain why broadcast windows are broad and why networks have split coverage across over-the-air, cable and streaming platforms.
One practical gap remains: Tubi streamed the opening match and the U.S. opener for free, but the schedule does not specify which additional matches beyond those two will be available free on that service. Fans planning viewing parties should note that while many matches are free on television or in Spanish on Telemundo, the list of free streaming windows is still being filled in; check platform listings before kickoff. The immediate calendar point: the U.S. plays Australia on Friday, June 19 at 3 p.m. ET and Turkey on Thursday, June 25 at 10 p.m. ET — those are the next must-book times for American viewers watching the group stage through June 27.
