Football fans around the globe are gearing up for the opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to watch every match on TV tonight, including broadcast details for the UK and the United States.
Mexico vs. South Africa
The tournament curtain-raiser kicks off in UK primetime at 8pm and will be broadcast live on ITV1, with streaming available on ITVX. For viewers in the United States, the match airs at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on FOX for English-language coverage, while Spanish-language viewers can tune into Telemundo or stream via Peacock.
South Korea vs. Czech Republic
This match, taking place in Guadalajara, is a late-night treat for UK fans, kicking off at 3am on Friday morning. It will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX. In the US, the game airs at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on FS1 (English) and Telemundo (Spanish).
General UK TV Broadcast Rotation
While ITV holds the rights to both opening-night matches, the remainder of the tournament's Thursday night and overnight slots will be shared between BBC (BBC One, BBC Two, and iPlayer) and ITV (ITV1, ITV4, and ITVX). Future Thursday night blocks will require viewers to switch between these two free-to-air broadcasters.
General US English-Language Coverage
FOX Sports holds the exclusive English-language rights for the entire group stage. High-profile afternoon and early evening Thursday games will air on over-the-air FOX, while late-night West Coast games (which run into overnight hours on the East Coast) will primarily be shown on the cable network FS1.
General US Spanish-Language and Streaming Coverage
NBCUniversal holds the exclusive Spanish-language rights for the tournament. Telemundo will broadcast the majority of linear TV games, with a select few on Universo. However, the easiest way to catch every Thursday night or overnight match without cable is through Peacock Premium, which will stream all 104 tournament matches live in Spanish.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass 'designed for football'. Sky is offering a 20% discount on its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
