ITV to show England’s 2026 World Cup opener, BBC bets on knockout rounds
ITV will show England’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Croatia after it and the BBC confirmed their allocations for the tournament.
All 104 matches will be broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK, with the BBC and ITV sharing the fixtures and both showing the final on 19 July.
While ITV has bagged England’s opener on 17 June and final group game against Panama 10 days later, it will only show their quarter-final and final, should they make it, in the knockout stages.
The BBC has secured the team’s prospective last-32, last-16 and semi-final matches as well as their second group game, against Ghana, on 23 June.
Of the other fixtures, the BBC has claimed Scotland’s opener – their first game at a World Cup finals since 1998 – against Haiti, the first group games involving co-hosts USA and Canada, and three of the top four picks in the last 16.
ITV will show the tournament curtain-raiser between Mexico, the other co-hosts of the expanded 48-team event, and South Africa on 11 June, in addition to the first games of holders Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
BBC and ITV set to show morning highlights
“The men’s Fifa World Cup 2026 is the biggest World Cup in history, showcasing the very best football talent from around the globe,” said ITV director of sport Niall Sloane.
“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.
“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.”
Both terrestrial broadcasters are expected to provide morning highlights packages for football fans unable to watch matches shown live during the night, due to the time difference.
“We can’t wait to bring you the Fifa Men’s World Cup 2026,” said BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski.
“From (hopefully) England knockout games live on BBC1 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.”