Whether you’re supporting your home team, Deutschland or you’re simply along for the ride, here’s how you can catch the action from the 2026 football World Cup from Germany.
Kicking off on June 11th, games will be played in 16 cities across the host countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States – until the final on July 19th.
Due to the timezones, it will be tricky to watch all the matches unless you’re prepared to stay up late or get up early. And sadly – for the Europeans at least – there won’t be the same buzzing atmosphere as we’ve seen in previous tournaments like Germany’s Euro 2024, with multiple fan zones in cities.
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However, lots of venues in Germany will screen matches, and you can certainly watch it from home.
What do I need to know about the World Cup?
Firstly, let’s stick with the football, Fußball or soccer (take your pick!).
Germany is no stranger to winning. West Germany emerged as World Cup champions in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
The last time the ‘Schland won was in 2014 when they beat Argentina in a final played in the famous Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
But more recently, Germany has put on a disappointing show on the world football stage, getting knocked out at the group stage in Russia in 2018 and in Qatar four years ago.
During the Euro 2024 tournament (which Germany hosted spectacularly if we do say so ourselves), the Nationalmannschaft made it to the quarter-finals, but was knocked out by Spain during extra time.
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Fans of the German national football team gather on June 23, 2024. Photo by Joerg CARSTENSEN / AFP
This year, Germany is in Group E along with Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Coach Julian Nagelsmann recently said the team – with stars like Antonio Rudiger, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz – is “raring to go”.
Here are the Germany group stage matches to get in your diary:
- June 14th: Germany vs Curaçao at Houston Stadium, from 7pm CEST (ARD)
- June 20th: Germany vs Ivory Coast at Toronto Stadium, from 10pm (ZDF)
- June 25th: Ecuador vs Germany at New York New Jersey Stadium, from 10pm (ARD)
Other notable entries to the competition are Scotland and Austria – two teams that haven’t been to the World Cup since France ’98 – and Uzbekistan, who have qualified for the tournament for the first time in their history.
Jordan is also set for its first World Cup appearance, while Norway also return for the first time since 1998.
Heavyweights like Argentina (who won the last World Cup in 2022), Brazil, France, Spain and England all hope to reach dizzying heights. Italy and Denmark sadly failed to make the cut.
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As you might expect, geopolitical tensions are also a big part of the competition. Due to US President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, some fans have said they don’t want to risk entering the country.
Germany’s World Cup squad has also been urged not to make political statements on the pitch. AFP recently reported that sporting director Rudi Völler encouraged players to keep sport and politics “somewhat separate” during the tournament.
Aside from the tension, going to North America is an expensive journey for supporters from Europe, with tickets for the games, hotels and transport setting people back thousands of euros.
How can I watch games from home in Germany?
German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, along with paid-for MagentaTV are sharing the broadcasting rights to screen World Cup games.
MagentaTV will screen all 104 matches live – 44 of them exclusively – though you will have to sign up and pay for a package.
Between them, ARD and ZDF are showing 60 matches live on TV or via an online stream, which are accessible to residents in Germany.
READ ALSO: How to watch Bundesliga games on TV in Germany
This coverage includes every match played by the German national team, as well as many other highlights. Check out the full schedule of all the games being shown for free here.
If you have a VPN, you’ll also be able to watch matches screened by other public broadcasters worldwide such as the BBC.
Where else can I watch games?
Sports bars, pubs and some restaurants across Germany will screen at least some of the matches. You can expect Germany’s fixtures, some opening games, knock-out rounds and the final matches to be on most schedules.
In Berlin, the BRLO Brwhouse at Gleisdreieck, KulturBrauerei, Manifesto Market and the Centre at Potsdamer Platz have announced plans for screenings.
Find a list of public viewing options around Germany here.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
