The FIFA World Cup 2026 is only 10 days away, but India still has no official broadcaster or online streaming service.
Football fans across the country have been waiting in anticipation of a breakthrough, and while a deal hasn't been officially signed yet, there are promising signs that it could still go through.
How can football fans in India watch FIFA World Cup 2026?
While there is still no official word from the broadcasters themselves, Zee Entertainment looks set to seal the deal for the broadcasting rights to the FIFA World Cup 2026.
According to media reports, the deal has been valued at $30-35 million, far less than the $100 million FIFA had demanded for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.
One major issue with the price reduction is late-night match timings in India—many matches take place early in the morning (like 5:30 am, 7:30 am, etc.) since the tournament is being held in North America.
The likelihood of the FIFA World Cup being broadcast on the Zee network in India became more evident after its rivals JioStar and Sony Pictures Networks backed out of bidding for the rights.
JioStar bid $20 million for the FIFA World Cup, but FIFA rejected that bid. There were also reports that Doordarshan could broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2026, but the broadcasters pulled out of securing "commercial rights" after telling the Delhi High Court that it is not "their responsibility" to do so.
Zee's potential acquisition of the Indian broadcasting and streaming rights comes at a time when the entertainment group is set to launch new sports channels under the Unite8 Sports brand.
Zee is reportedly planning to launch four new sports channels under this brand. Should Zee officially secure the rights to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the matches will be broadcast on the Unite8 Sports channels with LIVE streaming available on the Zee5 app and website.
An announcement on the India broadcast and streaming rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be made soon.
FIFA World Cup 2026 details
The United States, Canada and Mexico are the co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be the first edition to consist of a record 48 teams.
The showpiece tournament will begin on 11 June and run until 19 July, with the final to be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The 48 teams have been divided into 12 groups of four.
The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will qualify for the round of 32, which will mark the start of the knockout stages.
