The 2026 World Cup, the first ever to feature 48 teams, will consist of 104 matches. A significant portion of these, 44 games, will not be available live on free-to-air TV (ARD or ZDF) but exclusively on MagentaTV’s pay-TV service. Here’s a breakdown of which matches those are!
From June 11 to July 19, 2026, the football world will be focused on the World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada. For the first time, the tournament will expand to include 48 national teams, divided into twelve groups of four for the preliminary round.
The knockout stage begins on June 28 with the Round of 32, which will see the top two teams from each group advance, along with the eight best third-placed teams. The World Cup final will take place on July 19 in New York/New Jersey.
A total of 104 matches will be played in the 2026 World Cup. While 60 of these will be broadcast live on free-to-air television by ARD or ZDF, those wishing to watch every single game will need a subscription to MagentaTV. The pay-TV provider will exclusively broadcast 44 World Cup matches.
This article reveals which specific matches will be exclusively available on MagentaTV and the cost of a subscription to follow the 2026 World Cup live.
2026 World Cup: Exclusive MagentaTV Broadcasts and Subscription Details
Here is the overview of the confirmed MagentaTV exclusive matches. These games can only be watched live with a MagentaTV subscription, as they will not be broadcast live on free-to-air TV (ARD or ZDF). The top matches are highlighted in bold.
| Date | Kick-off (German Time) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 12 | 4:00 AM | South Korea vs. Czech Republic (Group A) |
| Saturday, June 13 | 3:00 AM | USA vs. Paraguay (Group D) |
| Sunday, June 14 | 6:00 AM | Australia vs. Turkey (Group D) |
| Sunday, June 14 | 10:00 PM | Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F) |
| Monday, June 15 | 4:00 AM | Sweden vs. Tunisia (Group F) |
| Tuesday, June 16 | 9:00 PM | France vs. Senegal (Group I) |
| Wednesday, June 17 | 12:00 AM | Iraq vs. Norway (Group I) |
| Thursday, June 18 | 1:00 AM | Ghana vs. Panama (Group L) |
| Thursday, June 18 | 4:00 AM | Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (Group K) |
| Thursday, June 18 | 9:00 PM | Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B) |
| Friday, June 19 | 3:00 AM | Mexico vs. South Korea (Group A) |
| Saturday, June 20 | 12:00 AM | Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C) |
| Saturday, June 20 | 5:00 AM | Turkey vs. Paraguay (Group D) |
| Sunday, June 21 | 6:00 AM | Tunisia vs. Japan (Group F) |
| Sunday, June 21 | 6:00 PM | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (Group H) |
| Monday, June 22 | 3:00 AM | New Zealand vs. Egypt (Group G) |
| Tuesday, June 23 | 2:00 AM | Norway vs. Senegal (Group I) |
| Wednesday, June 24 | 1:00 AM | Panama vs. Croatia (Group L) |
| Wednesday, June 24 | 9:00 PM | Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar (Group B) |
| Thursday, June 25 | 12:00 AM | Scotland vs. Brazil (Group C) |
| Thursday, June 25 | 3:00 AM | Czech Republic vs. Mexico (Group A) |
| Thursday, June 25 | 3:00 AM | South Africa vs. South Korea (Group A) |
| Thursday, June 25 | 10:00 PM | Curacao vs. Ivory Coast (Group E) |
| Friday, June 26 | 1:00 AM | Japan vs. Sweden (Group F) |
| Friday, June 26 | 4:00 AM | Turkey vs. USA (Group D) |
| Friday, June 26 | 9:00 PM | Senegal vs. Iraq (Group I) |
| Saturday, June 27 | 2:00 AM | Uruguay vs. Spain (Group H) |
| Saturday, June 27 | 5:00 AM | Egypt vs. Iran (Group G) |
| Saturday, June 27 | 5:00 AM | New Zealand vs. Belgium (Group G) |
| Saturday, June 27 | 11:00 PM | Panama vs. England (Group L) |
| Sunday, June 28 | 1:30 AM | DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan (Group K) |
| Sunday, June 28 | 4:00 AM | Jordan vs. Argentina (Group J) |
2026 World Cup: Detailed Broadcast Information for Exclusive MagentaTV Games
For Turkish fans, it’s important to note that all three of Turkey’s group stage matches will not be broadcast live on ARD or ZDF. Therefore, a MagentaTV subscription is essential to watch Arda Güler and the team in the preliminary round of the 2026 World Cup. If Turkey advances to the knockout stage, there’s a good chance their matches may be shown on free-to-air TV.
Additionally, one of Morocco’s group stage games (against Scotland) will only be available live with a MagentaTV subscription. Furthermore, several other highly anticipated matches that fans won’t want to miss include: Netherlands vs. Japan (June 14), France vs. Senegal (June 16), Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (June 18), Spain vs. Saudi Arabia (June 21), Scotland vs. Brazil (June 25), and Japan vs. Sweden (June 26).
It’s also worth mentioning that two of the three group stage matches for co-host Mexico will be exclusively broadcast on MagentaTV, as will two preliminary round matches for Tunisia and all three group stage games for dark horse Senegal.
In total, MagentaTV will exclusively broadcast 32 group stage matches on pay-TV. However, a subscription is also worthwhile for the knockout stages, as six Round of 32 matches, three Round of 16 matches, two quarter-finals, and the third-place playoff will also be exclusively shown on MagentaTV and not available live on free-to-air TV.
Regardless of German involvement, both semi-finals and the final of the 2026 World Cup will be broadcast live on ARD/ZDF in addition to MagentaTV.
Breakdown of MagentaTV’s 44 Exclusive Matches
| Stage | Number of Matches |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | 32 matches |
| Round of 32 | 6 matches |
| Round of 16 | 3 matches |
| Quarter-finals | 2 matches |
| Third-place Playoff | 1 match |
| Total | 44 matches |
2026 World Cup: MagentaTV Subscription Pricing
As mentioned, anyone wishing to watch the 44 exclusive World Cup matches on MagentaTV must first secure a subscription with the pay-TV provider.
One option is the MagentaTV Flex subscription. This plan allows for monthly cancellation and costs eleven euros per month. This means you are not tied to a long-term contract and can watch all the 2026 World Cup matches live during June and July.
Cost of a MagentaTV Subscription for All 2026 World Cup Matches
| Provider | Subscription Type | Includes All World Cup Matches? | Monthly Cancellable? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagentaTV | MagentaTV Flex | Yes | Yes | €11 per month |
2026 World Cup: All German Matches Live on Free-to-Air TV
It is confirmed that all of Germany’s matches in the 2026 World Cup will be broadcast live on free-to-air television, in addition to being available on MagentaTV. Therefore, no subscription is required to watch the DFB team’s games, as they will all be freely accessible.
For Germany’s opening match in the World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada, ARD will be responsible for the free-to-air broadcast. The first channel will show Germany vs. Curacao on June 14 (Sunday) live on TV and also free of charge via livestream on sportschau.de or the ARD media library. Pre-match coverage begins at 6 PM, one hour before kick-off. Moderator Esther Sedlaczek and expert Bastian Schweinsteiger will host the show, with Tom Bartels providing commentary for the DFB team’s first World Cup appearance.
On June 20 (Saturday), Germany will play against Ivory Coast, with ZDF handling the free-to-air broadcast. The final group stage match against Ecuador (Thursday, June 25) will then be broadcast live on ARD again.
2026 World Cup: Overview of German Match Broadcasts
- Sunday, June 14, 7:00 PM: Germany vs. Curacao (live on ARD and MagentaTV)
- Saturday, June 20, 10:00 PM: Germany vs. Ivory Coast (live on ZDF and MagentaTV)
- Thursday, June 25, 10:00 PM: Germany vs. Ecuador (live on ARD and MagentaTV)
2026 World Cup: All Groups Overview
| Group A | Mexico | South Africa | South Korea | Czech Republic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group B | Canada | Switzerland | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Qatar |
| Group C | Brazil | Morocco | Scotland | Haiti |
| Group D | USA | Turkey | Paraguay | Australia |
| Group E | Germany | Ecuador | Ivory Coast | Curacao |
| Group F | Netherlands | Japan | Sweden | Tunisia |
| Group G | Belgium | Egypt | Iran | New Zealand |
| Group H | Spain | Uruguay | Saudi Arabia | Cape Verde |
| Group I | France | Senegal | Norway | Iraq |
| Group J | Argentina | Austria | Algeria | Jordan |
| Group K | Portugal | Colombia | Uzbekistan | DR Congo |
| Group L | England | Croatia | Ghana | Panama |