​The 2026 World Cup is in full swing as the knockout rounds begin, with the United States, Canada and Mexico hosting football’s premier tournament. UK fans can watch every match on free-to-air TV, so they won’t miss England, Scotland, or any other nation’s progress. While time differences mean some matches start late for UK viewers, there are plenty of favorable kick-off times, including 6pm BST and 8pm BST slots, as well as late-night games.
Here’s how to catch every World Cup 2026 game on the BBC and ITV, plus STV in Scotland. The schedule below lists key knockout-stage fixtures and broadcast details in the UK.
Knockout rounds begin on Sunday 28 June with South Africa vs Canada (Round of 32). On Monday 29 June, matches include Brazil vs Japan and Germany vs Paraguay (penalties) after a 1-1 draw. Tuesday 30 June features Netherlands vs Morocco (penalties after 1-1), Ivory Coast vs Norway, and France vs Sweden (kick-off at 10pm BST on ITV/STV). Wednesday 1 July includes Mexico vs Ecuador (2am BST) and England vs DR Congo (5pm BST on BBC) plus Belgium vs Senegal (9pm BST on ITV/STV). Thursday 2 July showcases USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (1am BST) and Spain vs Austria (8pm BST) on BBC. Friday 3 July has Portugal vs Croatia (12am BST) on BBC and Switzerland vs Algeria (4am BST) on BBC, with Australia vs Egypt (7pm BST) and Argentina vs Cape Verde (11pm BST) on ITV/STV. Saturday 4 July features Colombia vs Ghana (2:30am BST) on ITV/STV.
The Round of 16 lineups include two matches at 6pm BST and 10pm BST, with additional fixtures in the early hours as needed. On Sunday 5 July, Round of 16 games continue, followed by more matches on Monday 6 July (1am BST and 8pm BST), Tuesday 7 July (1am BST, 5pm BST, and 9pm BST), and Thursday 9 July (9pm BST) for the quarter-finals. The schedule also covers Friday 10 July (8pm BST), Saturday 11 July (10pm BST), and Sunday 12 July (2am BST) for further quarter-final action, with the tournament wrapping up in mid-July.
Gianni Infantino remains a prominent figure as the tournament progresses toward its final, with the host cities and venues continuing to showcase the event, including the New York-New Jersey area as a major hub. For UK viewers, all matches are accessible free-to-air across BBC, ITV, and STV platforms, with coverage tailored to fit UK time zones and free-to-air availability.