FIFA World Cup 2026 – How to Watch on TV and BBC iPlayer

The wait is over. The FIFA World Cup 2026 has begun - bigger, bolder and more iconic than ever before. With 48 teams competing across a record-breaking 104 matches, this is the largest World Cup in history and a tournament set to redefine the global game. The BBC is broadcasting 54 matches live on TV, but audiences can follow all 104 matches across the BBC’s digital platforms. Across TV, iPlayer, 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website & app, the brand-new BBC Sport Football YouTube channel, and across socials, BBC Sport is delivering an unrivalled, unmatched, and uninterrupted World Cup experience that audiences can’t find anywhere else.

Alongside live match coverage and expert analysis across TV, radio, and the BBC Sport website and app, FIFA World Cup 2026 marks a major evolution in how audiences experience the tournament digitally. Our blockbuster schedule of live TV matches includes England’s group stage meeting with Ghana and England’s knockout games in the round of 32, round of 16, and semi-final, if they progress, along with Scotland’s opener and final group match against Haiti and Brazil respectively. Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman join Steve Crossman to lead BBC Radio 5 Live’s World Cup coverage. Across the tournament, the team is bringing listeners 92 live commentaries and coverage of all 104 matches.

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You can also follow the FIFA World Cup 2026 live on the BBC Sport website, app, YouTube, and across social media. Supercharging how fans experience the tournament, BBC Sport is live streaming build-up and the opening 10 minutes of its biggest matches on BBC Football’s YouTube and TikTok channels for the first time ever - giving audiences more ways to follow the action live, wherever they are.

This summer’s World Cup spans three host nations, and each will stage its own opening ceremony ahead of its first match. Mexico opens the tournament on Thursday 11 June, before their match against South Africa. Canada follows on Friday 12 June, ahead of their game with Bosnia-Herzegovina. The USA hosts its ceremony on Saturday 13 June, before facing Paraguay. All ceremonies begin 90 minutes before kick-off. The BBC will show the opening ceremonies for the matches it holds live broadcast rights to on BBC iPlayer and on the BBC Sport website and app.

Football fever won’t stop at the final whistle, with BBC Sport delivering round-the-clock coverage throughout the tournament. From new digital-first debate shows, instant post-match analysis, and must-listen podcasts, to match highlights, an interactive predictor game, and daily quizzes, fans can dive into the action whenever and however they want.

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