FIFA World Cup 2026 begins today: Know where to watch in India, match timings, & live streaming details

The wait is finally over for football fans. The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off today across the United States, Canada and Mexico, ending months of uncertainty for Indian viewers over how they would watch the world's biggest sporting event.

The tournament begins with hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the historic Mexico City Stadium, formerly known as Estadio Azteca, in the opening match of football's biggest spectacle. The clash marks a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener, which also featured Mexico and South Africa.

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Just days before the tournament got underway, Zee Entertainment secured the broadcast rights for India, ensuring fans can follow all the action live on television and online.

Where to 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

Fans who prefer streaming can watch every match live on Zee5 across mobile devices, laptops and smart TVs.

Broadcast deal finalised at the last minute

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

The uncertainty has now been resolved with Zee Entertainment bringing the World Cup to Indian screens.

Mexico and South Africa to open the tournament

Co-hosts Mexico will have the honour of kicking off the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup when they face South Africa in a Group A clash in Mexico City today. The match is the first of 104 games that will be played across 16 host cities in three countries.

The fixture carries added significance for Mexico. The country becomes the first nation to host World Cup matches across three editions of the tournament, while Mexico City Stadium becomes the first venue in history to stage three World Cup opening matches.

The opening game also brings back memories of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the two nations played out a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg.

A historic World Cup across three nations

The 2026 edition marks the return of the FIFA World Cup to North America for the first time since 1994. The tournament is being jointly hosted by:

• United States
• Canada
• Mexico

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

Match timings for Indian viewers

With games spread across North America, kick-off times will vary depending on the venue.

• 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

The opening match, both semi-finals and the final are scheduled to begin at 12:30 am IST, setting up late-night viewing for fans in India.

Club stars set to light up the tournament

The World Cup will also showcase some of football's biggest clubs through the players representing their national teams.

According to a BBC report, Manchester City leads all clubs with 19 players selected for the tournament, the highest ever for a single club at a World Cup.

Bayern Munich follows 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.

With television and streaming arrangements now in place, Indian viewers can now settle in for a month of football as the FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway today.