The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off June 11, and if you haven't sorted your streaming situation yet, you're already behind. Here's what you actually need to know — no fluff, no cable required.
Your streaming options, ranked by value
Fox holds English-language rights in the US, carrying 70 matches including everything from the Round of 16 onward. FS1 picks up the remaining 34. Spanish-language coverage splits between Telemundo (92 games) and Universo (12), both under NBCUniversal.
The cheapest cable-free route that gets you Fox and FS1? Fox's own app, Fox One, at $20/month. That's it. Sling's Select plan at $30/month works too. After that, prices climb fast — Fubo starts at $45.99, YouTube TV's Sports package runs $65, and Hulu with Live TV will cost you $90 before you even think about Spanish-language add-ons.
If you want Telemundo on Hulu, add another $11.99/month on top of the $90 base. That's aggressive pricing for a single channel. Peacock's $10.99 Premium plan is the cleaner call for Spanish-language coverage.
Free trials exist — Fubo gives you seven days, Hulu three. Neither gets you through the whole tournament, but they'll cover the group stage openers if you time it right.
Genuinely free options (with limits)
FIFA+ will stream select matches at no cost. Tubi — Fox's free streamer — is showing the June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa and June 12 USA vs. Paraguay games for free. YouTube has a deal with FIFA to air the first 10 minutes of games plus a handful of full matches.
For the full tournament, though, you need a paid service. The free options are a taste, not a solution.
A VPN opens up more possibilities. BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, France's TF1 Player, Ireland's RTÉ Player — several European broadcasters are streaming matches at no charge, and spoofing your location gets you in. Proton VPN and TunnelBear are both free starting points. VPN compatibility can shift without warning, but it's worth trying before paying $90/month to Hulu.
The tournament, by the numbers
48 teams. 12 groups of four. 16 host cities spread across the US, Canada, and Mexico — the first World Cup staged across three nations simultaneously. Group stage runs June 11 through June 27. The final is July 19.
The groups are set:
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czechia
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
- Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, Congo DR, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
USA's group stage schedule: June 12 vs. Paraguay (9 p.m. ET, Los Angeles), June 19 vs. Australia (3 p.m. ET, Seattle), June 25 vs. Türkiye (10 p.m. ET, Los Angeles). All on Fox.
Three separate opening ceremonies roll out across June 11–12 — Mexico City's Azteca Stadium on June 11 at 1:30 p.m. ET features Shakira, J Balvin, and Burna Boy among others. Toronto follows June 12 at 1:30 p.m. ET with Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette. Los Angeles closes it out at 7:30 p.m. ET with Katy Perry, Future, and Rema at SoFi Stadium. Any service carrying Fox or Telemundo will have it live.
Bottom line: Fox One at $20/month is the most efficient spend for English-language coverage. Everything else is either more expensive or incomplete. If Argentina, France, or England are your team, the group stage odds are already drawing attention — and with 104 total matches to get through, you'll want reliable access sorted before the knockouts begin.
