FIFA World Cup 2026: Where to watch in India, match timings, & live streaming details

The wait is finally over for Indian football fans. With less than two weeks left before the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the tournament has found its broadcast home in India after months of uncertainty.

India was among the major markets where FIFA had not finalized a broadcast partner until recently. The issue has now been resolved, with Zee Entertainment securing the rights to air the tournament in the country.

Here’s everything fans need to know:

• Where can you watch the FIFA World Cup in India?

Matches will be telecast on Zee Entertainment’s newly launched sports channels:

• Unite8 Sports 1
• Unite8 Sports 1 HD
• Unite8 Sports 2
• Unite8 Sports 2 HD

• Can you stream the matches online?

Yes. All FIFA World Cup matches will be available for live streaming on Zee5 for viewers who prefer watching on mobile devices, laptops or smart TVs.

• Why was there uncertainty around the broadcast?

India remained one of the few major markets without a confirmed broadcaster for the tournament. While China finalized its FIFA broadcast deal in May, Indian football fans had to wait until the final days before kickoff for an announcement.

• Why is the 2026 World Cup special?

The tournament marks the return of the FIFA World Cup to North America for the first time since 1994. It will be jointly hosted by:

• United States
• Canada
• Mexico

Matches will be played across multiple cities and time zones during June and July.

• What time will matches start in India?

Because games are being held across North America, kick-off timings will vary:

• Atlanta matches: 9:30 pm IST
• Dallas and Houston matches: 10:30 pm IST
• San Francisco, Vancouver and Monterrey matches: Up to 9:30 am IST

• What about the biggest matches?

The opening match and, both semi-finals and the final are scheduled to start at 12:30 am IST, making them late-night viewing events for Indian fans.

With television and streaming arrangements now in place, Indian viewers will be able to follow every match of football’s biggest tournament live.

The 2026 World Cup will also showcase some of football’s biggest clubs through the players representing their national teams. Manchester City leads all clubs with 19 players selected for the tournament, the highest ever for a single club at a World Cup, according to a report by BBC. 

The Premier League side is followed by Bayern Munich with 18 players, while Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have 17 each. Barcelona rounds out the top five with 15 players in World Cup squads.

The previous record belonged to Barcelona, which had 17 players at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The increase this year has been helped by the tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams.