The group stage is done. The knockout rounds start today, and the field is about to get cut in half.
June 29 opens the Round of 32 with three matches that will tell us a lot about how the rest of this tournament plays out: Germany vs. Paraguay in Boston, Netherlands vs. Morocco in Monterrey, and Brazil vs. Japan in Houston. These aren't tune-up games anymore — lose and you're on a plane home.
How to watch — and what it'll cost you
In the United States, Fox has the English-language rights to every knockout match through the Final — 70 games in total, with another 34 on FS1. Spanish-language coverage is split between Telemundo (92 games) and Universo (12), both under the NBCUniversal umbrella.
If you're cutting the cord, here's what your options actually look like:
- Fox One — $20/month. Fox's own app, one place for every Fox-broadcast match. The most straightforward option.
- Sling Select — $30/month for Fox and FS1. Cheapest full-coverage option.
- Fubo — $45.99 first month, $55.99 after. Existing subscribers can add a 4K streams upgrade for $5/month.
- DirecTV MySports — $50/month for the first two months covers Fox and FS1.
- YouTube TV Sports package — $65/month, a step down from the $83 standard plan.
- Peacock Premium — $10.99/month for Spanish-language coverage via Telemundo and Universo.
- Hulu — $90/month base, with Telemundo costing an additional $11.99/month on top of that.
Free trials exist if you're strategic about it. Fubo offers seven days, Hulu gives you three. Neither gets you through the whole tournament, but they can cover a chunk of the Round of 32.
Free options — yes, they exist
FIFA+ will stream select matches at no cost through their website. FIFA and YouTube also struck a deal giving rights holders the ability to stream the first 10 minutes of games, plus a handful of full matches on YouTube. Tubi, which is Fox-owned, streamed the Mexico vs. South Africa and US vs. Paraguay openers for free — though that offer has passed.
A VPN opens up more doors. British viewers get free coverage via BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub. France has L'Equipe TV and TF1 Player. Ireland has RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play. Spain has RTVE Play. Spoofing your location to one of those servers through a free VPN like Proton VPN or TunnelBear can get you in — though platform compatibility isn't guaranteed to hold.
The tournament runs through July 19, when the Final takes place. Across 16 cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this is the first World Cup hosted across three nations — and the first where getting to a match in person has priced out a significant portion of the fanbase. Which makes the streaming question less of a convenience and more of a necessity for most people watching.
Germany, Brazil, and the Netherlands all kick off today. The bracket starts narrowing now.
