TotalSportek World Cup 2026: fixtures, groups & where to watch

The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026, and every one of its 104 matches is free-to-air in the United Kingdom. The BBC and ITV are sharing the full schedule between them, so UK fans can watch each fixture on BBC One and BBC iPlayer or on ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX with no subscription beyond a TV licence. The two broadcasters even share coverage of the final on 19 July.

Free-to-air on BBC and ITV

For the first time, a 48-team World Cup arrives with the entire match list available to UK viewers at no extra cost. The BBC and ITV have divided the 104 fixtures and will broadcast them across their main channels and online players:

• BBC — matches on BBC One, with the same coverage available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer.
• ITV — matches on ITV1 and ITV4, streamed free on ITVX.
• The final — 19 July, shared by both broadcasters, so you can choose either channel.

Because the rights sit entirely with two public-service broadcasters, there is no pay-TV tier for this tournament in the UK. A valid TV licence is all you need to follow every group game, every knockout tie and the closing match.

The group draw and format

The expansion to 48 teams reshapes how the World Cup is structured. The 48 sides are drawn into 12 groups of four, and each team plays three group matches between 11 and 27 June. That alone accounts for 72 of the 104 fixtures.

Qualification out of the groups is wider than before. The top two from each group advance automatically, joined by the eight best third-placed teams, filling a new Round of 32. From there the bracket runs as a straight knockout — 32 matches across the Round of 32, last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.

Key dates to mark

• 11 June — opening match, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City.
• 11–27 June — group stage across all 16 host cities.
• Round of 32 — the knockout phase begins once the groups conclude.
• 19 July — final, MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey.

With 16 cities spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada, kickoff times shift through the UK evening and into the night. We’ll keep the fixture widget above updated so you can see what’s coming in the next two weeks at a glance, then switch to BBC One, iPlayer, ITV1/ITV4 or ITVX for the match itself.

Build your bracket

A 48-team field with eight third-placed qualifiers makes the group stage harder to call than any previous World Cup. The wider Round of 32 rewards teams that might once have gone out early, so the path to the final is longer and the upsets more likely. It’s worth tracking the standings closely once games begin on 11 June.

For more on how the home nations line up before kickoff, see our Premier League coverage, and browse the wider football guide for fixtures and broadcaster listings across the season.