How to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 free from anywhere in the world with this VPN deal

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FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Image credit: Getty IMandel NGAN - Pool/Getty Images)

Top-ranked Spain, Kylian Mbappe's France, Lionel Messi's Argentina and Jude Bellingham's England will enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup as favorites this summer, a tournament that's been expanded to such an extent that viewers are going to end up putting a bigger shift in than the players themselves.

We're also going to see 13 different kick-off times in total, because the 16 venues – stretching from Vancouver's BC Place in the north to Mexico City's Estadio Banorte in the south, from Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium in the west to Boston's Gillette Stadium in the east – cover three countries and four time zones. Temperatures will likely force 11th-hour changes too.

Not only has the tournament been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, but the eight best third-placed teams will also join the top two from each group in the new round of 32. That means after 72 group stage games, only 16 teams will fail to reach the knockouts.

In the US tradition, it's going to be supersized. If you're frozen by the sheer scale of it, read on for a couple of tips that will make the undertaking a little less daunting.

All 104 games of the tournament are free-to-air in the UK and Australia. Traveling away from home? A good VPN will let you tap into that free FIFA World Cup coverage from anywhere – and our favourite NordVPN has a 74% discount running right now.

Can I stream FIFA World Cup 2026 for free?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be streamed live and free in many countries around the world, with the best English-language coverage available in the UK and Australia.

🇬🇧 UK: ITVX & BBC iPlayer (every game)
🇦🇺 Australia: SBS on Demand (every game)

Traveling abroad during the World Cup? You can use a VPN to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options.

Use a VPN to watch any FIFA World Cup 2026 stream

Why is a VPN a good option to watch FIFA World Cup 2026?

Taking place across six weeks in June and July, FIFA World Cup takes place at peak summer vacation time. Unfortunately, you may find that your usual streaming options are geoblocked while you’re away.

That’s where a VPN comes in handy – not only does it let you access your home streaming services from anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 74% discount and Amazon Gift Card thrown in on some plans.

What devices are supported by BBC iPlayer, ITVX, SBS on Demand and NordVPN?

Amazon Fire Stick (Android TV OS 7.0 and up)
Android (Android 7.0 and up)
Chromecast
iOS (iOS 15 and up)
iPadOS (iPadOS 15 and up)
Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)

Although you can't run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, TVs running Apple TV and various other smart TV systems, and VR headsets, an easy workaround is running NordVPN on your smartphone or computer and setting up a hotspot.

What is the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule?

(All times GMT)

GROUP STAGE

Thursday, June 11
8pm – Mexico vs South Africa

Friday, June 12
3am – South Korea vs Czech Republic/Denmark/North Macedonia/Republic of Ireland
8pm – Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales

Saturday, June 13
2am – USA vs Paraguay
8pm – Qatar vs Switzerland
11pm – Brazil vs Morocco

Sunday, June 14
2am – Haiti vs Scotland
5am – Australia vs Kosovo/Romania/Slovakia/Turkey
6pm – Germany vs Curacao
9pm – Netherlands vs Japan

Monday, June 15
12am – Ivory Coast vs Ecuador
3am – Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine vs Tunisia
5pm – Spain vs Cape Verde
8pm – Belgium vs Egypt
11pm – Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay

Tuesday, June 16
2am – Iran vs New Zealand
8pm – France vs Senegal
11pm – Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname vs Norway

Wednesday, June 17
2am – Argentina vs Algeria
5am – Austria vs Jordan
6pm – Portugal vs DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia
9pm – England vs Croatia

Thursday, June 18
12am – Ghana vs Panama
3am – Uzbekistan vs Colombia
5pm – Czech Republic/Denmark/North Macedonia/Republic of Ireland vs South Africa
8pm – Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales
11pm – Canada vs Qatar

Friday, June 19
2am – Mexico vs South Korea
8pm – USA vs Australia
11pm – Scotland vs Morocco

Saturday, June 20
2am – Brazil vs Haiti
5am – Kosovo/Romania/Slovakia/Turkey vs Paraguay
6pm – Netherlands vs Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine
9pm – Germany vs Ivory Coast

Sunday, June 21
1am – Ecuador vs Curacao
5am – Tunisia vs Japan
5pm – Spain vs Saudi Arabia
8pm – Belgium vs Iran
11pm – Uruguay vs Cape Verde

Monday, June 22
2am – New Zealand vs Egypt
6pm – Argentina vs Austria
10pm – France vs Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname

Tuesday, June 23
1am – Norway vs Senegal
4am – Jordan vs Algeria
6pm – Portugal vs Uzbekistan
9pm – England vs Ghana

Wednesday, June 24
12am – Panama vs Croatia
3am – Colombia vs DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia
8pm – Switzerland vs Canada
8pm – Bosnia & Herzegovina/Italy/Northern Ireland/Wales vs Qatar
11pm – Morocco vs Haiti
11pm – Scotland vs Brazil

Thursday, June 25
2am – South Africa vs South Korea
2am – Czech Republic/Denmark/North Macedonia/Republic of Ireland vs Mexico
9pm – Curacao vs Ivory Coast
9pm – Ecuador vs Germany

Friday, June 26
12am – Tunisia vs Netherlands
12am – Japan vs Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine
3am – Kosovo/Romania/Slovakia/Turkey vs USA
3am – Paraguay vs Australia
8pm – Norway vs France
8pm – Senegal vs Bolivia/Iraq/Suriname

Saturday, June 27
1am – Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
1am – Uruguay vs Spain
4am – New Zealand vs Belgium
4am – Egypt vs Iran
10pm – Panama vs England
10pm – Croatia vs Ghana

Sunday, June 28
12.30am – Colombia vs Portugal
12.30am – DR Congo/Jamaica/New Caledonia vs Uzbekistan
3am – Algeria vs Austria
3am – Jordan vs Argentina

KNOCKOUT STAGE

ROUND OF 32

Sunday, June 28
8pm – A2 vs B2

Monday, June 29
6pm – C1 vs F2
9.30pm – E1 vs A/B/C/D/F3

Tuesday, June 30
2am – F1 vs C2
6pm – E2 vs I2
10pm – I1 vs C/D/F/G/H3

Wednesday, July 1
2am – A1 vs C/E/F/H/I3
5pm – L1 vs E/H/I/J/K3
9pm – G1 vs A/E/H/I/J3

Thursday, July 2
1am – D1 vs B/E/F/I/J3
8pm – H1 vs J2

Friday, July 3
12am – K2 vs L2
4am – B1 vs E/F/G/I/J3
7pm – D2 vs G2
11pm – J1 vs H2

Saturday, July 4
2.30am – K1 vs D/E/I/J/L3

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, July 4
6pm – Round of 16 game 1
10pm – Round of 16 game 2

Sunday, July 5
9pm – Round of 16 game 3

Monday, July 6
1am – Round of 16 game 4
8pm – Round of 16 game 5

Tuesday, July 7
1am – Round of 16 game 6
5pm – Round of 16 game 7
9pm – Round of 16 game 8

QUARTER-FINALS

Thursday, July 9
9pm – Quarter-final 1

Friday, July 10
8pm – Quarter-final 2

Saturday, July 11
10pm – Quarter-final 3

Sunday, July 12
2am – Quarter-final 4

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday, July 14
8pm – Semi-final 1

Wednesday, July 15
8pm – Semi-final 2

FINALS

Saturday, July 18
10pm – Third-place playoff

Sunday, July 19
8pm – 2026 FIFA World Cup final

What are the FIFA World Cup 2026 groups?

Group A
Mexico
South Africa
South Korea
UEFA Path D winner

Group B
Canada
Qatar
Switzerland
UEFA Path A winner

Group C
Brazil
Morocco
Haiti
Scotland

Group D
USA
Paraguay
Australia
UEFA Path C winner

Group E
Germany
Curacao
Ivory Coast
Ecuador

Group F
Netherlands
Japan
Tunisia
UEFA Path B winner

Group G
Belgium
Egypt
Iran
New Zealand

Group H
Spain
Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia
Uruguay

Group I
France
Senegal
Norway
IC Path 2 winner

Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan

Group K
Portugal
Uzbekistan
Colombia
IC Path 1 winner

Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.

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