How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup live and free in Australia (every match)
Key takeaways
- All 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup are free to watch in Australia on SBS and SBS On Demand.
- The tournament kicks off on Friday, 12 June 2026 at 5:00 AEST, with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa.
- The Socceroos will play their first match on Sunday, 14 June at 2pm AEST against Türkiye.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Here's everything you need to know about where to watch, when the Socceroos play and how to plan your viewing schedule.
How to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026 for free in Australia
For those sick of paying for streaming, here's some good news, especially if you're a football fan planning to watch as many matches as possible.
You won't need to pay a single cent to watch the World Cup.
SBS has exclusive broadcast rights in Australia, with all 104 matches available to watch for free on TV, online and through the app.
You have a few options for viewing:
- SBS (Channel 3) is the main free-to-air channel for live matches.
- SBS VICELAND (Channel 31) will carry any games that run at the same time.
- SBS On Demand is where you can live stream every match for free, plus catch replays, mini-matches and highlights whenever you want.
If you don't already have an SBS account, all you need to do is sign up for one, and it's completely free.
You can watch on the web, mobile, tablet and smart TVs.
When do the Socceroos play?
Australia has been drawn into Group D alongside Türkiye, the United States and Paraguay.
All three Socceroos group stage matches are being played on the US West Coast, which works out well for us here in Australia (for a change).
In fact, 2 of the 3 games kick off in the afternoon.
Here's the Socceroos' schedule in AEST:
- Sunday 14 June: Australia vs Türkiye, 2pm
- Saturday 20 June: Australia vs United States, 5am
- Friday 26 June: Australia vs Paraguay, 12pm
What about the rest of the FIFA World Cup schedule?
The World Cup runs from 12 June to 20 July 2026.
We have 48 nations competing and a whopping 104 matches to watch across 16 cities.
You can check out the full schedule on FIFA's website, but here's a quick rundown of when things really start to heat up from the knockout stage onwards.
- Round of 32: 29 June to 4 July
- Round of 16: 6 to 9 July
- Quarter-finals: 10 to 12 July
- Semi-finals: 15 and 16 July
- Final: 20 July
The final will be on Monday, 5am AEST, in case you're super keen and would like to add it to your calendar and make arrangements at the earliest.
If you're an iPhone user, Apple has also launched its Sports app in Australia, ahead of the World Cup.
It'll give you real-time scores, stats and personalised team feeds.
Want to make sure your internet plan is up to scratch?
Whether you want faster speeds to stream all the games without buffering or you're just looking for a good deal, now's the time to compare internet offers as the EOFY sales have begun.
We've listed some of the top deals we've found in the following table, including exclusive Finder Rewards on selected plans, in addition to the offers already available from providers.
You can also check out our full roundup for more options.
Compare other products
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