How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free
TL;DR: All 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup are available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer/ITVX. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The world is watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The best international sides from around the world are competing for arguably the biggest prize in sport. The knockout rounds are really heating up. We've already seen powerhouses like Germany and Brazil get dumped out of the competition, and it feels like there's so much more still to come from huge names like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi as we hit the quarter-final stage.
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If you're interested in watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
What is the FIFA World Cup?
The World Cup is an international football competition between senior men's national teams. The 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockout rounds.
The defending champions are Argentina. They won their third title at the 2022 World Cup after defeating France in an epic final.
When is the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
The 2026 World Cup is the 23rd edition of this famous competition. This year's tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19.
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free
A number of streaming platforms are offering free coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Australia — SBS
France — M6
Ireland — RTÉ
Italy — RAI
Norway — NRK
Netherlands — NOS
Spain — RTVE
UK — BBC iPlayer and ITVX (recommended)
These streaming services are geo-restricted, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can livestream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Livestream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX (recommended)
Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this tournament before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for the FIFA World Cup?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable's sister site, AskMen.
