Pair will continue to share the rights equally, with both airing the final

World Cup 2026 FIFA logo

The BBC and ITV have secured the rights to the 2026 and 2030 men’s FIFA World Cups.

The broadcasters will continue to share the rights equally, both airing the final, as they have done since the 1966 World Cup that England won.

The BBC will provide live TV coverage and highlights across the BBC TV Channels and iPlayer, as well as live audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra, plus BBC Sounds. The BBC Sport website and app will also host its content. 

Meanwhile, ITV will have live coverage on ITV1, ITV4 and ITVX, plus highlights and exclusive content on ITV Sport social accounts. 

Both World Cups are taking place over large geographical areas, with the 2026 edition shared by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, while in 2030 there will be three centenary celebration matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to kick off the tournament, before Spain, Morocco and Portugal co-host the rest of the tournament.

Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC director of sport, said: “Securing these iconic tournaments means BBC Sport is once again bringing people together for the biggest sporting moments.  The World Cup is magical, something the whole planet stops to experience, and we can’t wait to show it to audiences across all platforms.”

Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, commented: “We are looking forward to bringing these two tournaments free-to-air across ITV and ITVX. The World Cup always delivers some of the most memorable, historic and exciting moments in the sporting calendar and we are pleased to display the finest footballing action to the widest possible audience.”

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA secretary general, added: “The expanded FIFA World Cup is set to be an unforgettable event for football fans everywhere in 2026 and 2030. We are delighted to be able to extend our partnership with the BBC and ITV for the next two editions of the tournament, as they will provide strong platforms in the UK to reach the widest audience possible and optimise the viewing experience.”

Next summer, the BBC and ITV are also sharing another major football tournament, the Women’s Euros. Previously the BBC had shown the tournament by itself, but now the pair will have a similar shared agreement as they do for the men’s international tournaments and women’s World Cup - after partnering with the EBU to acquire the rights.