The World Cup 2026 will be the biggest, and most anticipated, ever. The expanded 48-team tournament will feature a mammoth 104 fixtures, as Lionel Messi’s Argentina defend their crown, with Spain, France, Portugal, Brazil and, whisper it, England all set to challenge for the biggest quadrennial prize in sport.
All the actions begins on June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa and you can keep up to date with fixtures, kick-off times and streams with our interactive calendar below.
World Cup Schedule
All times in BST.
How to stream World Cup 2026 in the UK for FREE
The World Cup 2026 will be shown for free in multiple countries worldwide, but among the best English-language coverage comes from the UK.
Just like previous tournaments, the BBC and ITV will be sharing broadcasting rights on their linear TV channels and respective BBC iPlayer and ITVX streaming services.
These services are free, but remember you need to be living in the UK and have a valid TV licence. Scroll down for which outlet will be showing which games.
Travelling abroad during the World Cup? You can use a VPN to watch the free UK streams as if you were back home in Blighty. Norton VPN is our top pick of the options.
How to stream World Cup 2026 elsewhere with a VPN
If you’re going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the World Cup 2026, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your major sporting events like the World Cup 2026 or other content even if you’re not there. One of our favourites is Norton VPN.
World Cup 2026 Preview
Argentina may start as marginal favourites, purely because they retain so many of the side that triumphed in Qatar four years ago. Messi is still (just about) going and playing in the less taxing MLS may help him. History, though, is against them – the last team to retain the world crown were Brazil in 1962.
Brazil, as ever, will feature in the conversation as five-time winners. Carlo Ancelotti is the first foreign manager of A Seleçao and has Vinicius Jnr, Raphinha and in-form Igor Thiago among their number but most eyes will be on the fading Neymar as he tries to find past form.
Another fading light is Cristiano Ronaldo, but there’s no chance Roberto Martinez doesn’t pick CR7. Yes, he still scores goals, but a lack of mobility may prove costly against better sides that can shackle a gaggle of talent that includes Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha and Joao Neves.
Reigning European champions Spain will go far. Getting the ball off them is hard enough, let alone beating them, even if Lamine Yamal enters the tournament with a fitness cloud around him. France, and Kylian Mbappe, will also fancy their chances with attacking depth that includes Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki.
What about England? Harry Kane remains one of the most feared No.9s in world football and manager Thomas Tuchel has been good to his word on picking collective effort over individual star power. That has meant no Cole Palmer or Phil Foden, while Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice remain elite operators.
Six weeks, 48 teams, 104 matches, 16 venues, 13 different kick-off times, but only one winner.
All your World Cup questions, answered
What are the FIFA World Cup 2026 groups?
Group A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
Czechia
Group B
Canada
Qatar
Switzerland
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Group C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland
Group D
USA
Paraguay
Australia
Turkey
Group E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Group F
Netherlands
Japan
Tunisia
Sweden
Group G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand
Group H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay
Group I
France
Senegal
Norway
Iraq
Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan
Group K
Portugal
Uzbekistan
Colombia
DR Congo
Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
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