It’s here. The biggest World Cup in history kicks off today, and for the first time ever it’s happening right in our backyard. Whether you’re a die-hard who already has the bracket memorized or someone who just wants to know which channel to turn on, here’s your complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
When and Where It’s Happening
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, jointly hosted by sixteen cities, eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. This is a genuinely historic moment for the country, because it’s Canada’s first time ever hosting or co-hosting the men’s tournament. It’s also the first time a World Cup has ever been hosted by three nations, and the tournament returns to its traditional Northern Hemisphere summer slot after the strange November-December edition in Qatar.
The action opened on Thursday, June 11, with Mexico hosting South Africa at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It all builds toward the final on July 19. The 2026 World Cup final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday, July 19 at 3 p.m. ET.
A Bigger Tournament Than Ever Before
If this World Cup feels enormous, that’s because it is. The field has been expanded dramatically. There are 12 groups of four teams representing 48 nations, which is 16 more than the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. All those extra teams mean a lot more soccer to watch. The tournament features 48 teams and 104 matches over 39 days.
The format has changed to match. The previous setup of 32 teams in eight groups has been replaced by 12 groups of four, with the top two teams in each group plus the eight best third-placed teams advancing, and the knockout stage now starting with a round of 32. In practice, that means every team is guaranteed three group-stage matches, and 32 surviving teams will make it out of the group stage into the knockouts.
How Canada Is Faring
As a host nation, Canada qualified automatically and has a real shot at making noise on home soil. The Canadian Men’s National Team is competing in their third World Cup, after appearances in 1986 and 2022, and they kick off their campaign on Friday, June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Defending champions Argentina, meanwhile, arrive looking to hold onto the title they won in 2022.
How to Watch in Canada
Here’s the good news for Canadian fans: getting access is refreshingly simple. Bell Media holds exclusive World Cup television rights in Canada and will broadcast all 104 matches across CTV in English, Noovo in French, and its subscription networks TSN in English and RDS in French.
If you want to watch absolutely everything, TSN is your home base. Every game from the tournament will be live in English on the TSN channels and in French on RDS. A good chunk of the marquee action is also available free over the air. CTV will televise selected matches including every Canada game, six round of 32 fixtures, four round of 16 clashes, all four quarter-finals, both semi-finals, and the final.
Prefer to stream? You’ve got options across devices. The entire tournament can be streamed live and on-demand through the TSN+ streaming platform, the TSN App, and TSN.ca, and matches broadcast on CTV can be streamed through the CTV App or Crave. For cord-cutters, the pricing is reasonable. You can live stream via TSN+, which costs CA$8 per month or CA$80 per year. One more handy option worth knowing about: TSN is available through Amazon Prime Video, allowing subscribers to stream matches via the platform.
A small but useful tip for streamers: the specific channel can move between TSN, TSN2, CTV, and CTV2, so check the fixture listing first to keep your stream choice simple. And if you just want a taste without committing, the official TSN YouTube channel streams all of the network’s pre-game shows along with the first 10 minutes of every match.
The Bottom Line
For the next five-plus weeks, the world’s biggest sporting event is unfolding across North America, with games being played on Canadian soil for the very first time. All 104 matches are live on TSN and RDS, the biggest moments are free on CTV, and streaming starts at just eight bucks a month. Pick your team, find your couch, and enjoy the ride. It doesn’t get more convenient than a World Cup in your own time zone.