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With more teams competing than ever, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest sporting events of all time. Action kicked off on June 11, and the games run through July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico. There’s no shortage of ways to watch, since all the games will be broadcast live. But what are your options if you don’t have an expensive cable package?
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You’re in luck. There are several options to watch the World Cup for free or low cost (or at least much cheaper than regular cable). From absolutely free to free trials to affordable subscriptions, here’s a look at your best options to watch or stream the World Cup action without blowing your budget.
How to stream the World Cup 2026
Best Buy/ZDNET
In case you forgot or never knew, over-the-air broadcast (OTA) TV is still a thing, and you can probably pick up all of your local networks and more with an old-fashioned OTA antenna. Enter your address here to see which stations you can get.
These antennas, which won’t break the bank (our pick for the best cheap model is this one from Best Buy for $20), connect to the cable input in the back of your TV. You won’t get any fancy features like pausing or recording, but you will be able to watch. Since Fox has the broadcast rights for the World Cup, the vast majority of matches will be available (70 out of 104). Your local Telemundo stations will likely be broadcasting some matches in Spanish. You can check your local listings for times here.
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Peacock/ZDNET
Peacock may be the cheapest way to stream the action, but it comes with a catch. You can stream all 104 matches through Telemundo on Peacock, but the commentary will be in Spanish. You can score a subscription for about $10 a month, depending on which tier you choose, so you can get the whole World Cup for about $20. If you’re a Walmart+ subscriber or an Instacart+ subscriber, you get Peacock, including the World Cup, for free.
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iheartradio
If you’re fine with audio-only, Fox has partnered with the iHeartRadio app to provide live English-language broadcasts of all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup. You can download this app on your Android or phone, your Roku TV, Google TV, or hundreds of other smart devices.
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Fubo/ZDNET
Fubo TV’s live TV service has smaller bundles you can choose from, and the sports bundle, which gets you the channels you need for the World Cup, starts at $56. There’s a free 5 day trial if you want to test things.
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DirecTV/ZDNET
Like other services, DirecTV offers bundles that let you save money over a full subscription. In addition to the 5-day free trial, you can get the entertainment package to watch the World Cup for $60 a month for your first month.
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When is the World Cup 2026?
The FIFA World Cup 2026 takes place from Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, July 19. The soccer tournament will be hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with 48 teams playing 104 matches.
What channel is the World Cup on?
Fox owns the rights to the World Cup 2026, so games will be broadcast live on the channel or the Fox One streaming service, as well as several others that offer Fox, like YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.