World Cup 2026 live stream: TV Channels and Fixtures worldwide
The 2026 World Cup — the first to run with 48 teams and 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico — has reached the quarter-finals, and the broadcast map looks exactly as fragmented as the rights deals behind it.
The UK: license-fee logic
BBC iPlayer, ITVX, ITV1, ITV4, BBC One and BBC Two carry the full 104-match inventory, with Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra providing audio. ITVX Premium, available as a Prime Video add-on, layers extra content for paying subscribers. The mechanics here are not generosity — they're the license-fee bargain. Public reach gets guaranteed, the broadcasters get exclusive tournament windows, and the next two World Cup cycles are already locked in through the same deal running to 2030.
America: where the bundle is the product
Fox and FS1 split the English-language rights — 70 matches on Fox including the final, both semis and all four quarter-finals, 34 on FS1. Telemundo holds Spanish-language coverage, reachable through Peacock or any major cord-cutter. For streaming-only households, Sling's Blue plan starts at $45.99/month, with YouTube TV, Fubo and DirecTV as alternatives. Fox One, a standalone streaming service offering every game for $19.99/month after a three-day free trial, is the closest thing to a single subscription across all 104 matches.
Spain v Belgium and what to watch for
Friday, July 10 brings Spain against Belgium at 8pm BST / 3pm ET, on BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand and RTÉ Player. Spain remain the only side yet to concede; Lamine Yamal has been drawing defenders even when the ball isn't near him, opening space for Oyarzabal and Merino. Belgium found their edge late — a stoppage-time comeback against Senegal, then a hammering of the hosts — and have produced their best football with Kevin De Bruyne largely off the pitch. The final is scheduled for July 19.
For fans outside their home market, geo-restrictions will block the obvious routes. The clean answer is to check which local broadcaster holds the rights in the country you're actually sitting in. "Free-to-air" is a negotiation outcome, not a global principle.