Football World Cup 2026: Only Some Matches Available on Free TV

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across North America, will be an expanded tournament featuring 104 matches. German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have secured rights to broadcast 60 games on their free-to-air channels, including all matches involving the German national team.

However, a substantial number of the tournament's games will be exclusively available through MagentaTV, a paid subscription service. This particularly affects group stage matches, with only a fraction being shown on free channels during typical German viewing hours, considering the time differences in North America.

Of the 72 group stage fixtures, approximately two dozen will be broadcast by ARD and ZDF. Key games, including the opening match and Germany's group matches, are confirmed for free broadcast. While the German team's games are guaranteed free access, following many other attractive fixtures will necessitate a paid subscription.

MagentaTV will also retain exclusive rights for several knockout stage matches, covering a portion of the round of 16 and fewer games in the later rounds. Although the semi-finals and the final will be available for free, viewers will largely need a paid subscription to fully follow the entire tournament.