FIFA World Cup 2026 today, Football on TV

Now, there are 72 FIFA World Cup 2026 live televised matches and 9 TV channels will broadcast each and every one of them. The next match you will be able to enjoy is Mexico - South Africa and it will be played next 11 June 2026 at 21:00 televised by ITVX, STV, ITV1, STV Player.

The FIFA World Cup is the most important and prestigious tournament for national teams in the world of football. The first time it was played was in 1930 in Uruguay with the presence of 13 teams. The hosts were the first champions on the planet. It is celebrated every four years, except for the appointments of 1942 and 1946, which were canceled by the Second World War.

The idea of creating a tournament between countries was gaining popularity at the beginning of the 20th century. FIFA tried to organize several events on the sidelines of the Olympic Games, but was unsuccessful. It was in 1914 when the body recognized the Olympic competition as a world soccer championship for amateurs and took on the responsibility of organizing a professional World Cup. In addition, due to the unpopularity of the sport in the United States, soccer was not present at the 1932 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles.

The current format has been in use since 1998. 32 teams compete over the course of a month in a country decided by FIFA. For the group stage they are divided into eight groups of four nations each. The first two advance to the round of 16. In case of equality of points, the main tiebreaker criterion is the overall goal difference. The qualifying rounds are played as a single match with an extension and penalty shoot-out if necessary. The losers of the two semifinals meet in a match to determine third and fourth place. From 2026, the competition will have 48 teams to give more options to participate to the more modest federations.

The first televised FIFA World Cup was in 1954 and is now the most followed event in the world of sport, ahead even of the Olympic Games. More than 715 million people watched the end of 2006 live, which is equivalent to a ninth of the entire world population. The draw for that edition, in which the selections are distributed in the different groups, brought together 300 million viewers in front of the televisions.

The 1966 World Cup was held in England in 1966. The final was played at Wembley Stadium between England and West Germany. After drawing at two goals, an extension was made in which Geoff Hurst scored one of the most controversial goals in football history, which did not enter the goal. Finally, a fourth goal would give England victory.

More than 75 countries have reached the final phase of the tournament throughout history. To date, only teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL have reached the FIFA World Cup final. The European teams have won more than ten titles in their history, while the South American teams surpass eight titles. The United States (CONCACAF) and South Korea (AFC) are the only two teams from other confederations to have reached the semifinals. Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany are the only ones who have managed to lift the title in an edition held outside their continent.