The next two men’s FIFA World Cups will continue to be shown in the UK by the BBC and ITV after the broadcasters again agreed to share live rights to the showpiece national team soccer tournament.
The new agreement covers the 2026 tournament, taking place in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and the 2030 edition.
The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded 48 teams playing 104 matches over 39 days - beginning in Mexico City on June 11 and ending in New Jersey on July 19.
ITV and the BBC will share the rights equally, splitting matches between them, including a shared final, maintaining long-standing free-to-air coverage of the World Cup in the UK.
Alongside live TV coverage and highlights across the BBC TV channels and iPlayer streaming service, live audio commentary will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra.
ITV will deliver coverage of live fixtures across its linear ITV1 and ITV4 channels and ITVX OTT offering, plus highlights and exclusive content on ITV Sport social accounts.
It was officially announced last week that the 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents and six countries.
The tournament will be primarily co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but to mark the 100-year anniversary of Uruguay staging the first World Cup, three matches will be held in South America to open the competition - Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay hosting one each.
Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA secretary general said: “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.”
The BBC’s rights portfolio also includes the Olympic Games, the FA Cup, men's Euro 2028 and women's Euro 2025, the Women's Super League, tennis’ Wimbledon Championships, and the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.
ITV, meanwhile, also holds rights to the Women’s Euro 2025, the FA Cup, and men’s Euro 2028, as well as rugby union’s Six Nations, horse racing, the Super Bowl and the Carabao Cup.
