For football fans, the festive season is coming as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start on June 11 with the match of one of the hosts, Mexico, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Along with Mexico, the other joint hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026 include Canada and the United States, respectively. However, India being one of the largest hubs for the sport, this FIFA World Cup is expected to be watched by millions of viewers from the South Asian region. Many could be asking the important question, “where to watch Fifa world cup in India?” Read on to find the answer.
As much as cricket is followed, football has always been loved by the netizens, and they have been asking where to watch the FIFA World Cup in India. In contrast to this, most of the audience are also not aware and have been querying, “Is India in the FIFA World Cup?”
If you want to learn about these queries, then this article is a must-read.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Overview
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the 23rd edition of the tournament, considered one of the biggest and greatest football tournaments in history. Not only this, but the winners themselves are crowned as the best in the world following the win in the tournament, so it is obvious that the tournament holds such weight across the world.
This time FIFA World Cup will be hosted by three countries—the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament is also set to feature 48 countries around the world, expanding from 32, so that the football could reach a general audience in different corners of the world.
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Similarly, the tournament will begin on 11 June-19 July 2026, with the opening match being hosted by Mexico City and the final one being hosted by MetLife Stadium of New York-New Jersey. Canada, Mexico, and the USA are already qualified as hosts, while the other countries like Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, Japan, and newcomers Jordan and Uzbekistan have also made their bookings in the much-anticipated tournament.
The new structure will consist of 12 groups of four teams, where the two best and the eight best 3rd-placed teams will proceed to a round of 32. Overall, there will be 104 matches and 39 days of football, which will be more than ever. Fans are able to subscribe to FIFA to obtain information regarding the sale of tickets, hospitality packages, and the schedules of matches, respectively.
Where to Watch the FIFA World Cup in India?
With a population of 140.98 crore in India only, the country has always been a hub for anything that is innovative, from the products being launched every now and then. Along with this, the Indian citizens are also known to be fanatics about sports, and the love for sports is evident on the ground, jam-packed with the Indian audience.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup nearing, most of the football enthusiasts and the general audience in India have been searching for queries like, ‘Where to watch FIFA World Cup in India?’ ‘Where to watch the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony?’ creating confusion among themselves only.
Addressing the most asked query of where can I watch the FIFA World Cup in India, the official broadcast rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are acquired by Viacom 18. This means the countries under the Indian subcontinent, like Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and others, can enjoy the FIFA World Cup 26 stream through Viacom 18. Similarly, the other most searched query is “will Star Sports telecast the FIFA World Cup or not.” The answer is yes. Star Sports is rumored to purchase the streaming rights from Viacom 18 so that the football fans can enjoy every match on their TV from home.
On the other hand, the Indian fans who wish to watch the FIFA World Cup 26 online can stream the matches through the JioCinema app and websites, respectively. Along with this, the FanCode app and website are also reportedly working to stream matches for the fans who rely on the online platform.
However, the answer to the query of ‘Can I watch FIFA World Cup 2026 in Sony LIV?’ is still unclear, as there have been no clear signs from Sony LIV as of now to stream the matches.
India’s Participation in the FIFA World Cup
While there has been a discussion on where to watch the FIFA World Cup on TV in India, most of the audience are not aware whether India is playing the 2026 FIFA World Cup or not. ‘Is India qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026?’ is still the most asked question on the internet today, since most of them are fond of other sports like cricket, hockey, and badminton.
Simply addressing the query of ‘Is India in the FIFA World Cup,’ the answer would be no, as the Indian men’s football team finished third in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers second round after losing 2-1 to Qatar in their final match of the qualifying campaign on June 11. With this, the dream of India playing in the FIFA World Cup remains incomplete till now, but it is expected to participate in the upcoming edition of the FIFA World Cup.
India’s journey to the 2026 World Cup fell short today after losing 2-1 to Qatar.
Yousef Aymen’s goal stood after it appeared the ball crossed over the endline, India players stopped playing while Qatar rolled it back and scored. pic.twitter.com/CybfGTjiox
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 11, 2024
Amit Mishra’s Perspective
As a writer and die-hard football fan from India, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has a place in my heart since this edition has given opportunities to 48 countries, expanding from 32 countries. While there are many countries that have never participated in the World Cup and are set to play the FIFA World Cup 26, the sadness of India still not playing in the football World Cup has broken my heart into pieces. Despite having all the required infrastructure and man-power for football, we have still been lagging in this sport for several years.
On the brighter side, football fans around India can enjoy the live stream of the football World Cup matches through the official broadcast rights purchased by Viacom 18. Similarly, the matches can also be streamed on the official app and website of Jio and FanCode, enhancing the viewing experience.
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FAQs: Where to Watch the FIFA World Cup in India?
- Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
Viacom18 is the official broadcast network through which Indian fans can follow the FIFA World Cup 2026. It will also stream the matches on its TV channels and on the JioCinema app and site. - What is the channel for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
In case you are looking to find the television coverage of the FIFA World Cup in India, Viacom18 is the official broadcasting company. Star Sports is set to stream matches on its channels. - Will the FIFA World Cup 2026 be available on Sony LIV in India?
Sony LIV has not officially confirmed that it will be streaming the FIFA World Cup 2026 yet. - Where to watch the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in India?
Viacom18 will broadcast the opening ceremony on TV and online on the JioCinema application and website. - Is India playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026?
India failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after it was placed third in its AFC qualifying group.
