When two of the world's most tactically distinct national sides meet at AT&T Stadium in the opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, billions of viewers will be watching from every continent. Whether you are in Amsterdam, Tokyo, São Paulo, or Sydney, legal broadcast access exists - and in many countries, it is entirely free. This guide breaks down exactly where to find the live feed, and what to do if geography gets in the way.
Free-to-Air Coverage in the Netherlands and Japan
Viewers in the Netherlands have straightforward access. Public broadcaster NPO holds the official rights, with the event airing live on NPO 1. Streaming is available at no cost via NOS.nl and the NPO Start app - no subscription required. Pay-TV subscribers can also access the feed via Ziggo Go or Canal+ Netherlands.
In Japan, the broadcast picture is equally accessible. The Japan Consortium distributes rights across both public and commercial television. NHK covers it across terrestrial transmission, its NHK+ streaming service, and BS Premium 4K. Free-to-air commercial coverage is also available on Nippon TV and Fuji TV. Subscribers to DAZN Japan have an additional premium digital option.
How to Watch From Any Country Using a VPN
Geo-restrictions mean that a broadcast legally available in one country is blocked when accessed from another. A Virtual Private Network - a VPN - reroutes your internet connection through a server in a different country, making the streaming platform read your location as local. The process is straightforward:
- Subscribe to a reputable paid VPN service such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark and install the app on your device.
- Connect to a server in the country where your preferred broadcaster operates.
- Open the broadcaster's website or app, log in with your existing credentials, and access the live feed.
- If using a browser on a computer, open an Incognito or Private window to prevent cached cookies from revealing your actual location.
One important caveat: free VPNs are not adequate for live video. They are typically too slow, frequently throttle bandwidth, and lack the unblocking infrastructure required to bypass the detection systems used by major broadcasters. Bypassing geo-restrictions may also violate the Terms of Service of individual streaming platforms - users should be aware of that before proceeding.
Worldwide Broadcast Directory
Below is a full reference of known broadcasters carrying coverage across all major regions. Free-to-air access is available in a significant number of countries, including Australia (SBS), Germany (ZDF), Brazil (Globo, SBT), Ireland (RTÉ), Italy (RAI 1), New Zealand (TVNZ 1), and Romania (Antena 1). Canada distributes via TSN+, TSN1, and CTV. Across most of Latin America, DIRECTV Sports and DGO carry rights alongside free-to-air local networks. The Middle East and North Africa region is served by beIN SPORTS CONNECT.
A full regional breakdown follows:
- 🇦🇫 Afghanistan - ATN
- 🇦🇱 Albania - TV Klan
- 🇩🇿 Algeria - beIN SPORTS Connect
- 🇦🇩 Andorra - TVE La 1, M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+
- 🇦🇷 Argentina - Telefe Argentina, DIRECTV Sports Argentina, DGO, mitelefe, Paramount+
- 🇦🇺 Australia - SBS, SBS On Demand
- 🇦🇹 Austria - ORF eins, ORF ON
- 🇧🇪 Belgium - La Une, Proximus Pickx, RTBF Auvio Direct, Sporza
- 🇧🇴 Bolivia - Red Uno, Unitel, Tigo Sports Bolivia, Disney+ Premium Chile, Entel TV
- 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina - Arena Sport
- 🇧🇷 Brazil - SporTV, Globo, Globoplay, SBT, Zapping, N Sports, Claro TV+, Sky+, CazéTV, Vivo Play
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria - BNT
- 🇨🇦 Canada - TSN+, TSN1, CTV, RDS App, CTV App, Crave
- 🇨🇱 Chile - Chilevision, DIRECTV Sports Chile, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- 🇨🇴 Colombia - Caracol TV, RCN Television, DIRECTV Sports Colombia, DGO, Deportes RCN En Vivo, Caracol Play, ditu, Radio Nacional de Colombia, Paramount+
- 🇨🇷 Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TDMAX, FOX
- 🇭🇷 Croatia - HRTi
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus - Sigma TV
- 🇨🇿 Czechia - ČT Sport, OnePlay
- 🇩🇰 Denmark - TV2 Denmark, TV2 Play Denmark
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador - DIRECTV Sports Ecuador, DGO, Teleamazonas, Paramount+
- 🇸🇻 El Salvador - Canal 4 El Salvador, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports El Salvador, FOX
- 🇪🇪 Estonia - Go3 Extra Sports Estonia
- 🇫🇯 Fiji - FBC Sports
- 🇫🇮 Finland - MTV3, MTV Urheilu 1, MTV Katsomo
- 🇫🇷 France - M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Molotov, Free, 6play, myCANAL
- 🇩🇪 Germany - ZDF, MagentaTV
- 🇬🇹 Guatemala - TeleOnce Guatemala, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Chapin TV, Tigo Sports Guatemala, FOX
- 🇭🇳 Honduras - Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Honduras, FOX
- 🇭🇰 Hong Kong - ViuTV, 616 Now Sports 4K, 618 Now Sports
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia - TVRI, Vidio, TVRI Sport
- 🇮🇷 Iran - beIN SPORTS Connect
- 🇮🇪 Ireland - RTÉ
- 🇮🇹 Italy - DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- 🇯🇵 Japan - DAZN Japan, NHK, NHK+, BS Premium 4K, Nippon TV, Fuji TV
- 🇽🇰 Kosovo - RTK1, ArtMotion, TV Vala Kosovo Telecom
- 🇲🇴 Macau - ViuTV
- 🇲🇺 Mauritius - New World Sport App
- 🇲🇽 Mexico - Canal 5 Televisa, Azteca 7, TUDN En Vivo, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, ViX Mexico
- 🌎 Middle East and North Africa - beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- 🇳🇵 Nepal - Himalaya TV, DGO, Himalaya Sports TV
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands - NPO 1, Ziggo Go, Canal+ Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand - TVNZ 1, TVNZ+
- 🇳🇮 Nicaragua - Azteca Deportes En Vivo, Tigo Sports Nicaragua, FOX
- 🇳🇴 Norway - TV 2 Direkte, TV 2 Play
- 🇵🇦 Panama - RPC, TVN Panama, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TVMax, Medcom GO, Tigo Sports Panama, FOX
- 🇵🇪 Peru - DIRECTV Sports Peru, DGO, Disney+ Premium Chile, Paramount+
- 🇵🇹 Portugal - Sport TV
- 🇷🇴 Romania - Antena 1, Antena Play
- 🇸🇲 San Marino - DAZN Italia, RAI 1, RaiPlay
- 🇸🇬 Singapore - Singtel TV GO, meWATCH
Understanding Why Broadcast Rights Are Divided This Way
The fragmented nature of international broadcast rights reflects decades of negotiation between governing bodies, national broadcasters, and commercial operators. Rights are sold territory by territory, often in competitive bidding processes where public broadcasters compete against subscription platforms for the same audience. The result is that viewers in different countries - watching the identical event at the identical moment - may be paying very different amounts, or nothing at all, depending on where they happen to be located.
Public broadcasting mandates in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and Ireland have historically required that events of significant national interest remain available on free-to-air television. This is why ZDF, SBS, RTÉ, and NPO 1 all carry live coverage without a paywall. In markets without strong public broadcasting infrastructure, rights tend to consolidate behind subscription services - which is why platforms like DAZN have become the primary access point in Japan and Italy, supplemented by partial free-to-air coverage where contractual arrangements require it.
