ITV and the BBC have confirmed how they’ll be splitting live coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The tournament kicks off on 11th June 2026 and UK audiences will be able to watch every match for free. ITV’s matches will be available on ITV1, ITV4, ITVX, STV and STV Player while the BBC’s will be available on its TV channels and iPlayer.
ITV will show the tournament’s first two matches, including Mexico v South Africa, and will air a total of 29 group-stage matches including England’s first match of the tournament against Croatia and Scotland’s group-stage match against Morocco.
The broadcaster will also have three of the top picks for the Quarter-Final stages of the tournament including the first two picks, plus five of the top nine picks of the round of 32.
ITV Sport will also air the first matches of the tournament for current World Champions Argentina, plus Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
BBC audiences can look forward to three of England’s knockout clashes, if they progress – in the round of 32, round of 16, and a semi-final, plus England’s group-stage match with Ghana.
Scotland fans can look forward to live coverage of their opening and final group games against Haiti and Brazil across BBC TV and iPlayer.
The BBC will also show two group matches each for Argentina, France, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands, alongside key games for Spain, Germany and Belgium plus the opening match for Wales or Northern Ireland and two fixtures for the Republic of Ireland, if they qualify.
Additionally it’ll show the opening matches of USA and Canada and will have three of the top four picks in the round of 16 plus three of the top five in the round of 32.
Both broadcasters will show the final.
Niall Sloane, ITV Director of Sport, said: “The Men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 is the biggest World Cup in history, showcasing the very best football talent from around the globe.
“Viewers will kick off the tournament with ITV as we broadcast the first two matches, including host nation Mexico v South Africa.
“ITV’s coverage will be live from the United States for the duration of the tournament, as we provide expert analysis covering every key moment across the competition.
“Fans can exclusively enjoy two of England’s group stage matches on ITV, including their first match against Croatia, plus Scotland’s group match against Morocco.
“We are proud to broadcast the FIFA World Cup here at ITV and ensure it stays free-to-air for the UK audience to enjoy all summer.”
Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport said: “We can’t wait to bring you the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026.
“From (hopefully) England knockout games live on BBC1 and iPlayer to Scotland’s crunch matches with Haiti and Brazil to glamour games featuring Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Yamal, Salah, Haaland and more, we will bring you the drama and analysis of the moments that matter.
“And for the ones you can’t stay up for, don’t worry, we will have you covered the next morning too.”