Every four years, fans from around the globe pack stadiums, living rooms, and bars to cheer on their favorite teams in the world's most popular sport: football (or as we call it, soccer). This beautiful game kicked off last week, and we're almost on to the knockout rounds. Which teams will make it?

We have some big matches ahead today, and you won't want to miss a minute of the action. We'll see Norway vs. France, Senegal vs. Iraq, Egypt vs. IR Iran, New Zealand vs. Belgium, Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay vs. Spain. You can tune in to today's World Cup games live without cable if you have the right video streaming service or VPN. Here's how to watch, even for free.

This article was made possible in part by Proton VPN. It was written and edited independently without partner oversight.

When Is the 2026 World Cup?

The World Cup 2026 kicked off on Thursday, June 11, with group stage matches through the 27th. From there, the tournament moves on to knockout matches starting June 28, followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals. The third-place match will take place on Saturday, July 18, while the final match will occur on Sunday, July 19. For more detailed schedule information, check out FIFA's website. Hopefully, your favorite team isn't booted early.

Which Country Is Hosting the 2026 World Cup?

In 2026, the tournament isn't hosted by a single country; instead, it's spread across North America. The World Cup will take place in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, East Rutherford, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.

The fact that numerous games are being held in the United States has raised concerns for some athletes and fans, given the current political tensions surrounding immigration and soccer's international fan base. High ticket prices are also a growing concern, making streaming the tournament a cost-effective option.

Where Can You Stream the 2026 World Cup?

In the United States, Fox will broadcast 70 games, including every match from the Round of 16 through the Final. An additional 34 matches will be carried by FS1. Separately, the Spanish-language broadcasts of the World Cup will be held by NBCUniversal. Telemundo will carry 92 games and Universo will have the other 12. To watch every match without cable, you'll need a live TV streaming service or one of two on-demand video streamers. These services can get pricey, with subscriptions approaching $100 per month. However, there are some cheaper plans available.

  • DirecTV: While DirecTV's base package can be as high as $90 per month, you only need the $50 MySports base pack for the first two months to get Fox and FS1.
  • Fox One: Fox's own streaming app, Fox One, allows you to watch every match right in one place, for $20 per month.
  • Fubo: Fubo's Sports plan costs $45.99 for the first month, then $55.99 per month to get Fox and FS1. Already a subscriber to a different plan? There's a $5 per month add-on that promises 4K streams.
  • Hulu: For $90 per month, you get Fox and FS1. An additional $4.99 per month Español add-on can get you some Spanish-language programming, including Universo. Telemundo is an additional $11.99 per month to any plan, which seems excessive.
  • Peacock: You'll need the $10.99 per month Peacock Premium plan to watch live sports to access the Spanish-language broadcasts on Telemundo and Universo.
  • Sling: You can grab the $30-per-month Sling Select plan to watch Fox and FS1.
  • YouTube TV: Though the standard plan for YouTube TV costs $83 per month, you can actually now pay for the cheaper $65 Sports package to get Fox and FS1.

If you decide to watch the World Cup via streaming, remember there's time to get a big-screen television for watching the big goals. Pro tip: turn on your TV's motion-smoothing option for the best picture while watching sports. Just remember to turn it off before watching other TV shows and movies to avoid the awful "soap opera" effect.

Can You Stream the 2026 World Cup for Free?

Yes, but in a limited capacity. FIFA's free website, FIFA+, will stream select World Cup matches at no cost. FIFA and YouTube also announced a broadcast deal allowing rights holders to stream the first 10 minutes of games as well as a select number of full matches for free on their YouTube channel. Tubi, the Fox-owned free streamer, will also let you watch the June 11th Mexico vs. South Africa and June 12th US vs. Paraguay matchups for free. That said, you can't rely on these methods to view the entire tournament. You still need one of the aforementioned video streaming platforms for that.

If you don't have a streaming subscription, you may be able to catch some games with a free trial. FuboTV, for example, offers a 7-day free trial, while Hulu offers a 3-day trial period. These free trials won't be able to get you through the entire World Cup, but they can help you watch a few games for free.

Can You Watch the World Cup Live With a VPN?

A VPN not only helps you stay safe online, but also lets you spoof your location to a server in another country. A streaming-friendly VPN may also expand your choices for streaming the World Cup, especially if you want to listen in other languages or have a preferred commentary team.

More importantly, streaming platforms in other nations may offer free options unavailable in others, and a VPN may let you access at least some of them. For example, you can find free streams on Britain's BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, France's L'Equipe TV and TF1 Player, Ireland's RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play, and Spain's RTVE Play. You don't even have to pay for the VPN itself. Check out Proton VPN, TunnelBear, and our other favorite free VPN services. That said, VPN compatibility can change at any time.

Which Countries Qualified for the 2026 World Cup?

Several qualifying World Cup teams were selected during the World Cup Draw and sorted into 12 groups. Each group consists of four countries, though a handful of squads have yet to play their qualifying matches for the round-robin tournament. Right now, the World Cup group stage is as follows:

  • 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, Curacao, 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

The 2026 FIFA World Cup Schedule

You can view the full 2026 World Cup match schedule on FIFA's website. Just want to know when Team USA is playing? We've highlighted their matches below.

Group Stage

  • June 26 @ 3 p.m. ET: Norway vs. France (Group I) – Boston Stadium
  • June 26 @ 3 p.m. ET: Senegal vs. Iraq (Group I) – Toronto Stadium
  • June 26 @ 11 p.m. ET: Egypt vs. IR Iran (Group G) – Seattle Stadium
  • June 26 @ 11 p.m. ET: New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G) – BC Place Vancouver
  • June 26 @ 8 p.m. ET: Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) – Houston Stadium
  • June 26 @ 8 p.m. ET: Uruguay vs. Spain (Group H) – Estadio Guadalajara
  • June 27 @ 5 p.m. ET: Panama vs. England (Group L) – New York New Jersey Stadium
  • June 27 @ 5 p.m. ET: Croatia vs. Ghana (Group L) – Philadelphia Stadium
  • June 27 @ 10 p.m. ET: Algeria vs. Austria (Group J) – Kansas City Stadium
  • June 27 @ 10 p.m. ET: Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J) – Dallas Stadium
  • June 27 @ 7:30 p.m. ET: Colombia vs. Portugal (Group K) – Miami Stadium
  • June 27 @ 7:30 p.m. ET: Congo DR vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) – Atlanta Stadium

Round of 32 Fixtures

  • June 28: South Africa vs. Canada – Los Angeles Stadium
  • June 29: Germany vs. Group A/B/C/D/F Third Place - Boston Stadium
  • June 29: Netherlands vs. Morocco - Estadio Monterrey
  • June 29: Brazil vs. Japan - Houston Stadium
  • June 30: Group I Winners vs. Group C/D/F/G/H third place – New York New Jersey Stadium
  • June 30: Côte d'Ivoire vs. Group I Runners-up – Dallas Stadium
  • June 30: Mexico vs. Group C/E/F/H/I Third Place – Mexico City Stadium
  • July 1: Group L Winners vs. Group E/H/I/J/K third place – Atlanta Stadium
  • July 1: USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
  • July 1: Group G Winners vs. Group A/E/H/I/J third place – Seattle Stadium
  • July 2: Group K Runners-up vs. Group L Runners-up – Toronto Stadium
  • July 2: Group H Winners vs. Group J Runners-up – Los Angeles Stadium
  • July 2: Switzerland vs. Group E/F/G/I/J Third Place – BC Place Vancouver
  • July 3: Argentina vs. Group H Runners-up – Miami Stadium
  • July 3: Group K Winners vs. Group D/E/I/J/L Third Place – Kansas City Stadium
  • July 3: Australia vs. Group G Runners-up – Dallas Stadium

What Is the Official Song of the FIFA World Cup 2026?

For 2026, each host city will produce its own remix of the official FIFA World Cup 26 Theme. The musicians chosen reflect the unique vibe of each city. For example, the Philadelphia remix was created by DJ Jazzy Jeff, while Tech N9ne tackled the Kansas City track. You can find the tunes on Spotify or other streaming music services.

Source: PCMag.com