World Cup 2026: UK TV Schedule Announced for Free-to-Air Coverage
The 2026 World Cup, featuring 104 games hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be broadcast free-to-air for UK viewers. All matches will be available on BBC and ITV channels, with STV also providing coverage in Scotland. Fans can expect a variety of kick-off times, including some in the evening BST and others throughout the night, due to the time difference with the host nations.
The upcoming 2026 World Cup is set to be the largest iteration of the tournament to date, featuring 104 games. These matches will take place across three host nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico, over a period of five weeks.
For football fans in the UK, every single game of the competition will be accessible on free-to-air television. Coverage will be provided by BBC and ITV, with STV also broadcasting matches for viewers in Scotland. This ensures that fans can follow all the action, including the progress of national teams like England and Scotland.
Viewers in the UK will need to account for the time differences with the North American host countries. The schedule includes some evening kick-off times, such as 6pm BST and 8pm BST, offering convenient viewing slots. However, some games will also be broadcast throughout the night.
Examples from the initial match schedule for UK viewers include: * **Saturday 13 June**: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C) – 11pm BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website. * **Sunday 14 June**: Haiti vs Scotland (Group C) – 2am BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website. Germany vs Curacao (Group E) – 6pm BST on ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player. * **Wednesday 17 June**: England vs Croatia (Group L) – 9pm BST on ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player.
According to Yahoo Sports Soccer, further details of the full schedule will be released closer to the tournament.
