Wo Läuft die WM 2026 — USA

Kick-off windows by US time zone

Kick-off windows for the 2026 World Cup are deliberately tuned for North American audiences. Most group-stage matches start at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT (lunchtime kick-offs), 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT (afternoon prime), 6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT (early evening) or 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT (prime time). The late slot is the most common for marquee matchups because it captures both East Coast prime time and a West Coast afternoon audience. Compare that with 2022 in Qatar, when most kick-offs in the US fell between 5:00 AM and 2:00 PM ET, and you can see why Fox is forecasting record viewing numbers across all four mainland US time zones.

How to watch in 4K and on streaming

Fox is expected to deliver USMNT matches, both semifinals and the final in 4K HDR via Fox Sports 4K, available on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. Tubi will simulcast the opening match (Mexico vs South Africa on June 11) and USA’s first group game in 4K free of charge — the broadest free 4K availability of any World Cup to date. For Spanish-language viewers, Peacock’s World Cup package includes every Telemundo and UNIVERSO match plus pre-game and post-game shows, and you can cancel month-to-month.

Cord-cutter cheat sheet

If you don’t have cable, the simplest way to see every match in English is the FOX One subscription, which doesn’t require a TV provider login. If you want 4K plus broader sports, a one-month YouTube TV or Fubo trial spans the group stage. For Spanish coverage, a single month of Peacock Premium covers the whole tournament. And for free over-the-air viewing, a $20 indoor antenna will pull in FOX and Telemundo in all 12 host-region markets, meaning you can legally watch the entire 2026 World Cup without paying a cent if you have line-of-sight to a broadcast tower.

Key matches to circle on the calendar

The opening match kicks off on Thursday June 11 at 3:00 PM Eastern / 12:00 PM Pacific (Mexico vs South Africa) on Tubi, FOX and Telemundo simultaneously. USA’s three group games are spread across prime-time and afternoon windows in North American venues, and are the highest-rated US fixtures Fox can plan around. The Round of 32 runs from June 28 through July 3, the Round of 16 from July 4–7, quarterfinals on July 9–11, semifinals on July 14–15 and the final on Sunday July 19 at 3:00 PM Eastern / 12:00 PM Pacific — the entire knockout phase plays out across US, Mexican and Canadian time zones, so even a West-Coast viewer can catch every single match before midnight local time.