BBC or ITV? Everything you need to know about how to watch and live stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in the UK

The BBC and ITV have shared the United Kingdom's TV broadcasting rights to every FIFA World Cup since 1966, and every four years, the two networks go head-to-head in their attempts to outperform the other in the battle for critical and ratings supremacy.

While football fans across Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be reassured to know that every match from the quadrennial international football spectacular will be available on free-to-air television in the UK, it's often difficult to keep track of which channel and streaming service will be broadcasting individual games over the 39-day tournament.

This is as much the case as ever before, what with the 2026 edition of the World Cup finals expanding to a 48-team tournament, up from the 32 nations that competed at Qatar 2022. This means there'll be 104 matches played in North America, a major increase on the 64 games that have been staged during each edition of the tournament since France 98.

Here at GOAL, we give you a full breakdown of where to watch each and every game from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including a regularly-updated table of which network is broadcasting each individual fixture, where you'll find the opening game, opening ceremonies, England and Scotland's matches plus the FIFA World Cup final.

Where can I watch the final?

As is tradition, both BBC One and ITV1 will screen the final live, as has been the case for every FIFA World Cup final since 1966.

Spain face Argentina in the World Cup final, which will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday 19th July, and will kick off at 8pm BST.

BBC One's live coverage is scheduled to start at 7pm, while ITV1's broadcast will get underway 15 minutes earlier at 6.45pm.

Will UK viewers be able to watch the final's half-time show and closing ceremony?

It has been widely reported that BBC One and ITV1 are both planning to broadcast the World Cup final's half-time show, which is expected to last between 20 and 25 minutes, in the vein of the half-time performances at the NFL's Super Bowl.

The half-time show will be co-headlined by Colombian pop star Shakira, who will perform the official World Cup song Dai Dai, veteran US singer Madonna, plus K-pop band BTS, South Korea's all-time best-selling musical act.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has subsequently been added to the list of performers who will take part in the half-time show, which also includes Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, British rock band Coldplay and the New York school choir the PS22 Chorus.

Prior to the tournament, it was widely reported that both the BBC and ITV were not planning to show the half-time show as part of their linear TV coverage of the World Cup final, but the management of both broadcasters are now understood to have had a change of heart.

There will also be a pre-match closing ceremony, as there traditionally has been ahead of previous World Cup finals. This ceremony is set to start at 6.30pm BST, which is before BBC One and ITV1 begin their live coverage of the World Cup final at 7pm and 6.45pm respectively.

It is possible that the networks will broadcast a full feed of the closing ceremony - which will feature actor Tom Cruise, singer-songwriters Jennifer Hudson, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger and Robbie Williams, and influencer IShowSpeed - through their online and digital platforms.

Which channels were the England games on?

ITV1 televised England's first and last matches from Group L, the fixtures against Croatia on Wednesday 17th June and against Panama on Saturday 27th June, and broadcast Thomas Tuchel's team's quarter-final against Norway on Saturday 11th July.

BBC One screened England's games against Ghana from Group L on Tuesday 23rd June, DR Congo from the round of 32 on Wednesday 1st July, Mexico from the round of 16 in the early hours of Monday 6th July, Argentina in the semi-finals on Wednesday 15th July and France in third place play-off on Saturday 18th July.

Here is a full breakdown of the UK TV coverage of England's matches:

Which channels were Scotland's matches on?

BBC One broadcast Scotland's first and final Group C games, with Steve Clarke's side facing Haiti in the early hours of Sunday 14th June and Brazil on Wednesday 24th June. ITV1 and its Scottish equivalent STV televised Scotland vs Morocco on Friday 19th June.

Here is a rundown of the UK TV coverage of Scotland's fixtures from Group C:

Which channels were the semi-finals on?

ITV1 and ITVX broadcast France vs Spain at 8pm BST on Tuesday 14th July, while BBC One and the BBC iPlayer showed England vs Argentina at 8pm BST on Wednesday 15th July.

Which channels were the quarter-finals on?

ITV1 and ITVX televised three of the four quarter-finals, including England's clash with Norway at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami at 10pm BST on Saturday 11th July. BBC One and the BBC iPlayer broadcast Spain vs Belgium at 8pm BST on Friday 10th July.

Which channels were the round of 16 games on?

The BBC and ITV each screened four of the eight fixtures from the round of 16. England's crunch game against Mexico at Estadio Azteca, which kicked off at 2am BST in the early hours of Monday 6th July, was live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.

Which channels were the round of 32 matches on?

Upon the completion of the group stage, the BBC and ITV agreed on which round of 32 games each channel would televise. England's clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which kicked off at 5pm BST on Wednesday 1st July, was live on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.

Was the opening game on ITV or the BBC?

ITV1 broadcast the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosts Mexico vs South Africa from Group A, on Thursday 11th June.

Kick-off at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was 8pm BST, although the match was preceded by the first of three opening ceremonies - one at each of the first games staged in all three host nations, each of which involve that country's team.

Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla performed at the Azteca ahead of El Tri's clash with Bafana Bafana.

On Friday 12th June, Canada's Group B opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, an 8pm BST kick-off, was preceded by performances by Canadian singer-songwriters Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette.

Then in the early hours of Saturday 13th June, US pop star Katy Perry and rapper Future performed before the United States played Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to begin Group D, a game that kicked off at 2am BST.

Both Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States vs Paraguay were televised by BBC One.

Full World Cup 2026 UK TV schedule

This has been the biggest ever edition of the World Cup, with the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams. This means there'll be 104 matches, up from the 64 games that have been staged during each edition of the tournament since France 98.

In total, the BBC channels will broadcast 54 live games, while the ITV network will televise 51 live matches. As is tradition, both BBC One and ITV1 will screen the FIFA World Cup final, which takes place on Sunday 19th July.

You can see the full breakdown of the UK TV coverage of the 2026 World Cup below, including the games, dates and times.

How to watch the UK TV coverage with a VPN

If you are travelling abroad or just want to access your usual streaming services from a different part of the world, you may run into geo-restrictions. This is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) comes in handy.

Watch securely from anywhereSign up now

A VPN, such as ExpressVPN, allows you to establish a secure, encrypted connection online. By virtually changing your location to a country where the game is being broadcast, you can bypass blackout restrictions and watch your favourite team live. A step-by-step guide is described later in this article, or you can also check out our guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.

Hassle-free

NordVPN

• Unbeatable for live sports across multiple regions
• Hassle-free streaming with quick, uninterrupted connections
• Easy to use, supports up to 10 devices for live streaming, especially efficient on mobile devices

---

Monthly from$3.39

Get NordVPN

Best budget

Surfshark

• Excellent speed and reliability at budget-friendly prices
• Unrestricted data usage, ideal for live sports streaming
• Easy to use, with a user-friendly interface and no limit on the number of devices per account

---

Monthly from$2.19

Get Surfshark

Best for Speed

ExpressVPN

• Known for being one of the fastest VPNs available
• Offers HD sports streaming without interruption and an easy-to-access sports calendar for viewers
• 24/7 live chat support

---

Monthly from$6.67

Get ExpressVPN

Hassle-free

NordVPN

• Unbeatable for live sports across multiple regions
• Hassle-free streaming with quick, uninterrupted connections
• Easy to use, supports up to 10 devices for live streaming, especially efficient on mobile devices

---

Monthly from$3.39

Get NordVPN

Best budget

Surfshark

• Excellent speed and reliability at budget-friendly prices
• Unrestricted data usage, ideal for live sports streaming
• Easy to use, with a user-friendly interface and no limit on the number of devices per account

---

Monthly from$2.19

Get Surfshark

Best for Speed

ExpressVPN

• Known for being one of the fastest VPNs available
• Offers HD sports streaming without interruption and an easy-to-access sports calendar for viewers
• 24/7 live chat support

---

Monthly from$6.67

Get ExpressVPN

Hassle-free

NordVPN

• Unbeatable for live sports across multiple regions
• Hassle-free streaming with quick, uninterrupted connections
• Easy to use, supports up to 10 devices for live streaming, especially efficient on mobile devices

---

Monthly from$3.39

Get NordVPN

Combining premium high-definition terrestrial coverage with responsive portable digital tools allows you to manage your tournament slips flawlessly from anywhere. If you plan to lock in real-time predictions as the global tournament unfolds, software efficiency is everything. Take a closer look at our curated list of the best betting apps to upgrade your mobile game day routine.