Where to Watch USA World Cup Games on TV

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is split across two major broadcast partners in the United States. All USA national team games — plus dozens of other matches — are available on one of four channels depending on your provider and language preference.

• Fox Network — The flagship English-language broadcaster. Fox carries the biggest matches, including all USA games and every knockout round. It is available over the air for free with a standard TV antenna in most US markets.
• FS1 — Fox Sports 1 is the cable companion channel. Many group stage matches from other countries air on FS1 rather than the main Fox channel. FS1 requires a cable subscription or a live TV streaming bundle.
• Telemundo — The Spanish-language home of the 2026 World Cup. Telemundo broadcasts the same USA games as Fox but with Spanish commentary. It is available over the air for free in most major US markets.
• Universo — Telemundo's cable sports companion, airing overflow matches in Spanish in the same way FS1 handles English overflow from Fox.

To confirm which channel carries a specific match, check the Fox Sports schedule page the day before each game — channel assignments can shift when Fox decides to move a highly anticipated match from FS1 to the main network for wider reach.

How to Stream USA World Cup Games Without Cable

You do not need a traditional cable subscription to watch every USA World Cup game live. Several live TV streaming services carry Fox and FS1 as part of their channel bundles, and most offer a free trial period when you sign up.

• Fubo TV — The most comprehensive sports streaming option. Includes Fox, FS1, Telemundo, and Universo. Plans start around $80 per month and support multiple simultaneous streams so the whole household can watch on different devices at the same time.
• Hulu + Live TV — Includes Fox and FS1 and bundles Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost. Good value if you want live sports and on-demand content together.
• YouTube TV — Includes Fox and FS1 for around $73 per month. Comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage, so you can record any game you might miss and watch it later without stumbling across the score first.
• Sling TV (Orange plan) — The budget option at around $40 per month. The Orange plan includes FS1, but local Fox availability varies by market. Verify that your local Fox channel is included before subscribing.
• Fox Sports app — If you already have a cable or streaming TV subscription that includes Fox, you can stream for free through the Fox Sports app on iOS, Android, Roku, or Amazon Fire TV. Sign in with your TV provider credentials and navigate to the live channel.

For smooth HD playback, you need at least 25 Mbps of download speed. For 4K streams where available, aim for 50 Mbps or faster. Run a speed test at fast.com before a big match to confirm your connection can handle it without buffering at the worst moment.

How to Find the USA Game Schedule and Kickoff Times

The 2026 World Cup spans host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which means kickoff times vary considerably. A 3:00 PM ET start is noon on the West Coast — manageable for a weekday lunch break — but early group stage matches can kick off as early as 9:00 AM ET to accommodate international broadcast windows.

The two most reliable sources for the current schedule are:

1. Fox Sports World Cup schedule at foxsports.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup — lists every upcoming match, kickoff time converted to your local timezone if you allow location access, and the exact channel for each game.
2. FIFA official match centre at fifa.com — the authoritative source for schedule changes, venue assignments, and results as they happen.

Set a calendar reminder on your phone for each USA game the moment the schedule publishes. Knockout round fixtures are announced only after the group stage concludes, so check back as soon as the USA clinches (or narrowly advances on the third-place tiebreaker) to find out when and where their next game is.

If you are watching across multiple time zones — say, you are in Los Angeles and family members are watching in New York — confirm the ET time first and then convert. A 3:00 PM ET start is 12:00 PM PT; a 9:00 AM ET start is 6:00 AM PT, which means an early alarm.

How to Find a Watch Party or Fan Zone Near You

Watching a World Cup game with thousands of fans is a completely different experience from watching alone at home. Here is how to find a viewing event in your area:

• FIFA official fan zones — FIFA operates free fan zones near match venues in all US host cities, including New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Kansas City. These outdoor venues show matches on large screens and typically include food vendors, merchandise stalls, and pre-match entertainment. Entry is free but timed-entry passes may be required for the most popular games — check the FIFA website in advance to reserve a spot.
• American Outlaws supporter chapters — The American Outlaws (americanoutlaws.com) is the largest official USA soccer supporter group and has chapters in most major cities. Each chapter designates a local bar as the official watch party venue for every USA match. Use the chapter locator on their website to find the nearest one.
• Local sports bars — Search Google Maps for World Cup watch party or soccer bar near me. Call the bar a day before a big USA game to confirm they are broadcasting the match and whether they require reservations — popular venues fill to capacity within an hour of doors opening for knockout round games.
• Eventbrite — Search for World Cup 2026 watch party plus your city name. Many organized events include reserved seating, a cover charge, and themed food and drink menus. These sell out fast for USA games.

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before kickoff for USA matches. Seats at the bar and clear sightlines to screens disappear quickly, especially in cities with large soccer communities or near college campuses.

Setting Up Your Home for a USA World Cup Watch Party

Watching at home gives you full control — better audio, your own food, no bar noise obscuring the commentary, and the freedom to replay goals instantly. Here is how to set up properly for a USA match:

1. Get a streaming device for the TV — A Roku Streaming Stick 4K, Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, or Apple TV 4K plugs into your television's HDMI port and runs every major streaming app. Plug it in, connect to your home Wi-Fi, and install the Fubo TV, YouTube TV, or Fox Sports app before match day so you are not troubleshooting during kickoff.
2. Improve your connection reliability — If your TV is far from your router, connect your streaming device via ethernet using a USB-C to ethernet adapter rather than relying on Wi-Fi. A wired connection eliminates the buffering that tends to hit at the most critical moments — penalty kicks, stoppage-time goals.
3. Set your TV to Sports picture mode — In your TV's picture settings, select the Sports or Football preset. This increases motion processing and color saturation so fast-moving players stay sharp rather than blurring during quick passes and runs.
4. Turn up the audio properly — World Cup commentary is mixed with crowd noise that gets lost at low volume. Set your TV or soundbar to a level where the commentators are clear and the stadium atmosphere fills the room. If you have a surround sound system, enable it — the stadium ambience comes through the rear channels.
5. Print a bracket sheet — Download and print a 2026 World Cup bracket from fifa.com or foxsports.com so guests can track results and predict upcoming matchups. It keeps everyone engaged between USA games and adds stakes to every other result in the tournament.

USA Players to Watch at the 2026 World Cup

Knowing the key players makes every match more engaging and helps you follow the tactical story developing on the pitch. These are the central figures on the US Men's National Team in 2026:

• Christian Pulisic — The captain and most recognizable American soccer player. Pulisic plays attacking midfield and winger for AC Milan in Serie A. He is the focal point of the USA attack, known for driving runs into the penalty box and delivering in high-pressure situations. When Pulisic is on form, the USA becomes a genuinely dangerous team against any opponent.
• Matt Turner — The starting goalkeeper brings Premier League experience to the tournament. Turner's shot-stopping and vocal organization of the defense in set-piece situations are critical to the USA's ability to keep games close.
• Gio Reyna — The attacking midfielder adds technical creativity and vision to the US midfield. Reyna's close control and ability to play through tight spaces complement Pulisic's more direct style and give opponents a different kind of problem to solve.
• Weston McKennie — A box-to-box midfielder who covers enormous ground on both sides of the ball. McKennie's engine is central to the USA's high-press system, winning the ball back quickly after losing possession and immediately transitioning into attack.
• Ricardo Pepi — The striker has established himself as a reliable goal-scorer at club level. Pepi's physical presence, hold-up play, and positioning in the penalty area make him the target for the USA's forward line and the player most likely to convert chances into goals during the tournament.

Lineup confirmations typically drop around 75 minutes before kickoff. Follow US Soccer's official social media accounts for the confirmed starting eleven before each match so you know exactly what tactical shape the coach is setting up.

How the 2026 FIFA World Cup Format Works

The 2026 tournament is the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 national teams, up from the previous 32-team format. Understanding the structure helps you follow the stakes of every USA result during the group stage.

Group Stage: The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups of four. Each team plays three games — one against each of the other three teams in their group. A win earns three points, a draw earns one point, and a loss earns zero. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams from each group advance automatically to the Round of 32. In addition, the eight best third-place finishers from across all 12 groups also advance, bringing the total to 32 teams in the knockout stage.

How tiebreakers work: If two teams in the same group finish with the same number of points, the tiebreaker is goal difference (goals scored minus goals conceded across all group games). If goal difference is also equal, total goals scored is the next tiebreaker. A team that wins all three group games is guaranteed to advance regardless of other results.

Knockout Stage: From the Round of 32 onward, every game is single elimination — lose and you go home. If scores are level after 90 minutes of regulation, the match goes to 30 minutes of extra time. If still tied, a penalty shootout of five kicks per side (with sudden death if still level) determines the winner.

The Final: The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final is scheduled at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — home of the New York Giants and Jets — on July 19, 2026. It is the largest stadium on the host city list and is expected to set a new World Cup attendance record for a final.

Host nation advantage: The USA, Canada, and Mexico qualified automatically as co-hosts, meaning the USMNT enters the tournament with three guaranteed group stage games. This removes qualifying pressure and gives US fans more guaranteed opportunities to see the team play before the knockout rounds begin.