With the 2026 FIFA World Cup starting Thursday, June 11 and running through July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico, fans have more options than pricey cable. Fox holds the rights, but there are multiple ways to watch—some free, some low-cost—through over-th
By the time Thursday, June 11 arrives, millions of fans won’t just be asking who’s playing—they’ll be asking where the games are free.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs through Sunday, July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with 48 teams and 104 matches. Fox owns the rights. and the schedule is built around live broadcasts—but the price of watching doesn’t have to be. From a $20 over-the-air antenna to short free trials and full subscriptions. the options below are some of the cheapest ways to keep up with every match without betting on a full cable package.
Over-the-air TV still works: if you can get local channels, you can watch
If you’re willing to trade features for savings, an over-the-air (OTA) antenna can be the simplest route. You can enter your address to see which stations you can get, then connect the antenna to the cable input on the back of your TV. There’s no pausing or recording, but you can watch.
Since Fox has the broadcast rights, the vast majority of matches should be available—70 out of 104. Local Telemundo stations will likely broadcast some matches in Spanish, and you can check local listings for times.
If you only want the World Cup on one app, Fox One is an option
For people who don’t want a bundle of channels and just want the tournament, Fox One is built for that. Fox holds the rights for the World Cup this year, and you can stream directly from the source. Fox One gives you three days free, and after that it costs $20 a month.
Peacock can be cheaper, but the commentary choice matters
Peacock is presented as potentially the cheapest way to stream the full World Cup, with a major caveat. You can stream all 104 matches through Telemundo on Peacock, but the commentary will be in Spanish.
A Peacock subscription is about $10 a month, depending on the tier you choose, so the World Cup can cost about $20 in total. If you’re already a Walmart+ subscriber or an Instacart+ subscriber, Peacock—including the World Cup—is included for free.
Want a taste instead of full-time viewing? Tubi offers selected live games
Tubi won’t give you every match, but it can be a low-stress way to drop in. Tubi will broadcast the opening ceremony and two matches live: Mexico versus South Africa on Thursday, June 11, and the US Men’s National Team versus Paraguay on Friday, June 12.
Tubi also plans to offer replays and recaps, edited game versions, highlight clips, and daily recaps of goals and standout plays.
Audio-only fans can follow every match through iHeartRadio
Not everyone wants video on a second screen. For those who are fine with audio-only coverage, Fox has partnered with the iHeartRadio app to provide live English-language broadcasts of all 104 matches of the 2026 World Cup.
The app is available to download on Android, as well as on a phone, Roku TV, Google TV, and hundreds of other smart devices.
If you want the full live-TV experience, YouTube TV gives a trial
YouTube TV is a popular live TV streaming service, and it will include access to your local Fox station and all World Cup games. It offers a 10-day free trial.
Pricing is typically $83 a month, but for new users it’s $68 a month for the first three months.
Fubo starts with a sports bundle and a 5-day trial
Fubo TV offers smaller channel bundles, and the sports bundle is the one designed around the channels needed for the World Cup. It starts at $56, and there is a free 5-day trial if you want to test it first.
Hulu + Live TV includes Fox plus extra entertainment
Hulu + Live TV includes more than 100 channels, including Fox, which you need for the World Cup. The service costs $90 a month, and it also includes Disney+ and ESPN Select.
There’s a free 3-day trial.
DirecTV offers savings through its first-month deal
DirecTV also works through bundles that are meant to save money compared with a full subscription. It includes a 5-day free trial, and for the first month you can get the entertainment package for $60 a month to watch the World Cup.
Why this matters: the tournament is massive, and the bill doesn’t have to match
With 48 teams and 104 matches spread across the US. Canada. and Mexico from Thursday. June 11 through Sunday. July 19. choosing a watching method becomes less about convenience and more about budgeting. Fox One’s three-day free trial. the 10-day free trial from YouTube TV. the 5-day trial options on both Fubo and DirecTV. Hulu + Live TV’s 3-day trial. and even Tubi’s limited live slate all point to a simple reality: the biggest sporting event on the calendar isn’t locked behind cable.
If you’re ready to match the games with your schedule. an antenna can pull in 70 out of 104 matches. while Peacock can stream all 104 matches through Telemundo—Spanish commentary included. And if you just want to stay in touch while you move through the day. iHeartRadio’s English-language live audio covers the full set of 104 matches.
The tournament starts soon. The question now is which option fits your household—video, audio, free, or low-cost—and how fast you want to set it up before kickoff.
2026 FIFA World Cup stream Fox One Peacock Tubi iHeartRadio YouTube TV Fubo Hulu + Live TV DirecTV over-the-air antenna OTA