BBC AND ITV CONFIRM WORLD CUP MATCH SPLIT AHEAD OF 2026 TOURNAMENT

BBC Sport and ITV Sport today unveil their live match split for the FIFA World Cup 2026, confirming how UK audiences can watch every major moment of next summer’s global football spectacular, kicking off on 11 June 2026.

The BBC and ITV will once again bring the entire World Cup tournament to everyone, everywhere, free-to-air sharing coverage of its biggest fixtures, from high-stakes group clashes to unmissable knockout drama with shared coverage of the final.

On the BBC, audiences can look forward to three of England’s knockout clashes, if they progress - in the round of 32, round of 16, and a semi-final, plus England’s group-stage match with Ghana.

Scotland fans can look forward to live coverage of their opening and final group games against Haiti and Brazil across BBC TV and iPlayer. Two group matches each for major football forces in Argentina, France, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands will be shown live on the BBC, alongside key games for Spain, Germany and Belgium – and the opening match for Wales or Northern Ireland and two fixtures for the Republic of Ireland, if they qualify.

The opening matches of two of the host nations, USA and Canada, will be shown live by the BBC. Three of the top four picks in the round of 16 will be chosen by the BBC as well as three of the top five in the round of 32.

ITV will air 29 group-stage matches, including England’s first match of the tournament against Croatia live from Dallas on Wednesday 17 June, England’s final group-stage match against Panama, on 27 June and Scotland’s group-stage match against Morocco on the 19 June.

Produced by ITV Sport Production, ITV will broadcast live from New York City for the duration of the tournament, and will have three of the top picks for the Quarter-Final stages of the tournament including the first two picks, plus five of the top nine picks of the round of 32.

ITV Sport will also air the first matches of the tournament for current World Champions Argentina, and key footballing nations Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

ITV will kick off the tournament with the first two matches, including one of the host nations, Mexico v South Africa, live from Mexico City, on ITV1, ITV4, ITVX, STV and STV Player.

The BBC kicks off its coverage on 12 June with Canada facing one of the play-off winners, either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wales, Northern Ireland or Italy, followed by USA vs. Paraguay.

Across both BBC and ITV, audiences can expect all the live matches and expert analysis, alongside extensive highlights, and other digital and social content - ensuring every goal, shock and storyline is captured from the first whistle to the last.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport says: “We can’t wait to bring you the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026. 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 Director of Sport says: “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.”

The final will be shown live on both BBC and ITV.