Where to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 in India? Ex-AIFF secy Shaji Prabhakaran shares big update; ‘fans can finally relax’

In one of the biggest developments on Saturday, former All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran revealed that the broadcasting partners of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India is expected to be announced in the coming week. According to Prabhakaran, the negotiations are complete, assuring the football fans in India that the tournament will be widely accessible in the country.

In a social media post, Prabhakaran said that the "fans can finally relax". "BIG NEWS FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL FANS! The wait is finally over. Negotiations are complete, and the official announcement for the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasting partner in India is expected next week! After months of uncertainty, fans can finally relax, the World Cup will be fully accessible in India. Get ready for the biggest World Cup in history!" he wrote on X.

There has been a growing uncertainty regarding the broadcast rights of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in India. Despite being a country of more than 1.40 billion population, unfortunately, India haven't been able to qualify for the football's greatest spectacle ever in history.

Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Centre and Prasar Bharati on a petition seeking directions to ensure that the FIFA World Cup is broadcast in India, especially through free-to-air public platforms such as Doordarshan and DD Sports. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice to the respondents while hearing the writ petition filed by advocate Avdhesh Bairwa under Article 226 of the Constitution.

The petition stated that despite the FIFA World Cup 2026 being scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026, no broadcaster in India had acquired the media rights for the tournament till then.

What's the cost of FIFA WC broadcast in India?

The plea argued that no broadcast of the showpiece event may deprive millions of football fans across the country from watching one of the biggest sporting events in the world. According to the plea, FIFA had initially valued the India broadcasting rights package for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at around USD 100 million.

However, due to a lack of interest from broadcasters, the value was later reduced to nearly USD 35 million. The petition claimed that even after the reduction, no final agreement had been reached till the time of the plea.

The plea also said that the FIFA World Cup had already been notified as a "sporting event of national importance" under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007.

It argued that once such a notification has been issued, the government and Prasar Bharati are under an obligation to ensure that the event is made available to the public. However, now, Prabhakaran's remarks on the upcoming official announcement of the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast partner in India come as encouraging news for football fans in the country.

How many teams are in FIFA World Cup 2026?

For the first-time ever, a FIFA World Cup will have 48 teams competing for the coveted trophy - 16 teams more than the previous editions. Argentina are the defending champions of the FIFA World Cup 2026, having won the title for the second time in 2022 in Qatar.

Four teams - Curacao, Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan are making their FIFA World Cup debuts in the 2026 edition, which will be held across three countries - United States, Mexico and Canada - from June 11.