World Cup 2026 / FIFA
The BBC and ITV have confirmed how the rights to next year’s World Cup are being divvied up.
As mandated by Ofcom, the entire tournament – taking place in the US, Canada and Mexico next June and July – will be shown free-to-air in the UK, with the two biggest PSBs sharing the rights.
ITV will show the opening game, Mexico vs. South Africa, on June 11 and also gets two of England’s group games – England vs. Croatia on June 17 and England vs. Panama on June 27.
The BBC will show the Three Lions’ other group game, vs. Ghana, on June 23, plus Scotland’s games against Haiti and Brazil.
The corporation is guaranteed to show England’s round-of-32 and round-of-16 games should they progress, as well as a potential semi-final, while ITV would broadcast the quarter-final. Both networks will air the final live simultaneously.
“We can’t wait to bring you the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026,” said Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport. “From (hopefully) England knockout games live on BBC One and iPlayer to Scotland’s crunch matches with Haiti and Brazil to glamour games featuring Messi, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Yamal, Salah, Haaland and more, we will bring you the drama and analysis of the moments that matter.
“And for the ones you can’t stay up for, don’t worry, we will have you covered the next morning too.”
Niall Sloane, ITV’s director of sport, added: “The Men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 is the biggest World Cup in history, showcasing the very best football talent from around the globe. Viewers will kick off the tournament with ITV as we broadcast the first two matches, including host nation Mexico v South Africa.
“ITV’s coverage will be live from the United States for the duration of the tournament, as we provide expert analysis covering every key moment across the competition.
“Fans can exclusively enjoy two of England’s group stage matches on ITV, including their first match against Croatia, plus Scotland’s group match against Morocco. We are proud to broadcast the FIFA World Cup here at ITV and ensure it stays free-to-air for the UK audience to enjoy all summer.”
Due to the tournament taking place in North America, many games will be broadcast overnight in the UK, with some kicking off as late as 5am.
