England will begin the 2026 World Cup on ITV, which will broadcast group stage games against Croatia (9pm on June 17) and Panama (10pm on June 27). These are the Three Lions’ first and last matches in Group L, with the other game against Ghana (9pm on 23 June) scheduled to be broadcast on the BBC.
Instead, the public broadcaster is hoping that manager Thomas Tuchel and his team will advance to a number of knockout stages in next summer’s tournament. They have the first pick for the round of 32, round of 16 and semi-finals, while ITV has the first pick for the quarter-finals, and both finals will be broadcast as normal.
Scotland will broadcast their opening game against Haiti on the BBC, as well as their potentially crucial final group stage game against Brazil. They are scheduled to appear on ITV when they play Morocco.
Northern Ireland and Wales will also start their World Cup campaigns on the BBC if they make it through the play-offs, so the BBC is focusing on their home games. The Republic of Ireland’s two group stage matches will also be broadcast on the BBC if they are played in North America.
Ireland’s first match will be played on ITV. However, opening night is theirs. Mexico will air the first two games of the tournament against South Africa, followed by South Korea’s match against a team that qualified from the European Playoff Path D, which includes the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland and North Macedonia.
ITV will host 29 group stage matches, including opening matches between Argentina, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. The BBC will broadcast two other matches between Argentina and the Netherlands, as well as two matches between Brazil, France and Portugal.
Many of these teams are also likely to be featured on broadcaster channels early in the final tournament. The BBC has three of the top five in the last 32 and three of the top four in the round of 16.
The opening match between host country Canada and the United States will also be broadcast on the second day of the tournament. The former will face either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales, while the United States will face Paraguay.
