England begins its quest to end 60 years of hurt on Wednesday when it takes on Croatia in the opening Group L match of the 2026 World Cup in Texas.
While England has reached the knockout stage in eight of its previous nine World Cup appearances, the Three Lions have rarely looked like serious contenders to lift a tournament they last won on home soil in 1966.
Hopes are nevertheless high for England this time around, with the remarkable depth at Thomas Tuchel's disposal illustrated by the omission of high-profile names such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden from his World Cup squad.
It's a tricky opening assignment for Tuchel's men, as they face a side that has reached the final and a semifinal in its last two World Cup campaigns. The last time these two nations met at a World Cup came in the 2018 semifinals, when Croatia emerged 2-1 winners after extra time in Moscow.
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England takes on Croatia in this Group L match on Wednesday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. CDT local time. That makes it a 4 p.m. ET or 1 p.m. PT start on the East and West Coast in the US and Canada, a 9 p.m. BST start in the UK and a 6 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia on Thursday.
Fox will show every US Men's National Team group match, plus every match from the round of 16 onward, including the final. You'll be able to catch 34 additional matches on FS1. Fox and FS1 are available on services like DirecTV, YouTube TV and Fox One. You can also stream matches from apps in other countries for free using a VPN.
How to watch the 2026 World Cup using a VPN for free
If you're traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the World Cup action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.
It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. Additionally, it can be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, providing an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.
Read more: You Can Stream Every World Cup Match With a VPN. Here's How
However, some streaming services may have policies that restrict VPN use for accessing region-specific content. If you're considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform's terms of service to ensure compliance.
If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider's installation instructions to ensure you're connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN use is crucial.
ExpressVPN
Best VPN for streaming
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $120 a year for its most popular plan (Advanced), but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $90, you'll get three months free. That's the equivalent of $6 a month.
Livestream England vs. Croatia in the US in English
Exclusive English live broadcast rights for every World Cup 2026 match are with Fox, with games set to be shown on Fox and FS1. This Group L match will be shown on Fox.
The cheapest option for most cord-cutters will be the Fox One streaming app, which will carry each match.
If you don't have access to either channel in your cable lineup, there are several online alternatives. A number of the major live TV streaming services, such as YouTube TV, DirecTV and Hulu Plus Live TV, carry both Fox and FS1.
Fox One
Carries every 2026 World Cup match
Fox's direct-to-consumer streaming service launched in August last year. Fox One starts at $20 a month or $200 a year and gives you access to Fox's complete TV portfolio, including sports-related channels such as Fox Deportes, Fox Sports, B1G, FS1, FS2 and local Fox stations. New subscribers can get a three-day free trial.
Fubo
Carries Fox and FS1
You can watch Fox and FS1 on Fubo via the service's $74-per-month Pro Plan. Click here to see which local channels you get in your region with Fubo. Read our Fubo review.
YouTube TV
Carries Fox and FS1
For $83 a month, YouTube TV's standard plan will get you Fox and FS1 along with a wide array of other channels.
Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV's welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV MySports
Carries Fox and FS1
DirecTV's MySports genre package includes access to both channels. New subscribers can sign up and access it for free for 5 days, then the price is $50 a month for the first two months. After that, the price reverts to its normal rate of $65 per month.
Livestream England vs. Croatia in the US with Spanish commentary
Spanish-language broadcast rights in the US are with NBCUniversal: Telemundo, which will show 92 games, and the remaining 12 will be broadcast on Universo. Both channels are available to stream on Peacock, with the service set to offer Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. This match will be shown on Telemundo.
Peacock
Carries Spanish-language coverage of the World Cup
Peacock currently costs $11 per month for the ad-supported Peacock Premium plan and $17 per month for the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus plan. Watch all the action from Telemundo and Universo on the platform.
Livestream England vs. Croatia in the UK for free
Free-to-air networks BBC and ITV are once again sharing broadcasting duties for the World Cup, with this match set to be shown on ITV1. The match will also be available to stream on ITVX. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. BST with England versus Croatia set to kick off at 9 p.m. BST.
ITVX
Carries World Cup 2026 matches for free in the UK
ITV's streaming online streaming service is free to viewers in the UK, with dedicated apps available for Apple and Android devices, as well as most smart TVs.
Livestream England vs. Croatia in Australia for free
It's great news for soccer fans Down Under: Every match of the 2026 World Cup will be broadcast free on SBS in Australia.
SBS
Carries the 2026 World Cup in Australia
Viewers can livestream World Cup coverage on the free-to-use SBS On Demand service.
The platform has dedicated apps for Android and iOS, and you can also access the service on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV stick, Apple TV and most smart TVs.
Livestream England vs. Croatia in Canada
Broadcast rights for this summer's World Cup in Canada are with Bell Media, who are set to air all matches in English on TSN and CTV, and in French on RDS. That also means coverage will be available on the TSN Plus streaming platform.
TSN Plus
Carries World Cup matches live
TSN Plus is a streaming service that costs CA$8 a month and also offers coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, Nascar and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
Source: CNET
