The opening group stage fixture between the Netherlands and Japan at AT&T Stadium in the United States is among the most anticipated international football encounters of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Broadcast rights for the event have been secured across a vast network of free-to-air and subscription platforms spanning every inhabited continent, ensuring that fans in the vast majority of countries can follow the action live - often without paying a premium.
Where to Watch in the Netherlands and Japan
Dutch viewers are well served by the public broadcaster NOS, which holds official broadcast rights and will carry the fixture live across free-to-air television. The coverage is also available for streaming via NOS.nl and the NPO Start app, meaning no subscription is required. Additional options include Ziggo Go and Canal+ Netherlands for those who prefer a platform-based viewing experience.
In Japan, the Japan Consortium has structured a broad distribution arrangement covering both public and commercial free-to-air broadcasters. NHK will air the fixture across its terrestrial channels, the NHK+ streaming service, and the BS Premium 4K channel for high-definition viewing. Nippon TV and Fuji TV will also broadcast the event. Viewers who prefer a subscription digital service can access coverage through DAZN Japan.
Worldwide Broadcast Coverage
Broadcast arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup reflect a concerted effort by FIFA and its rights partners to maximise global reach. Free-to-air coverage is prevalent across Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, while subscription and streaming-only models dominate parts of Asia and the Middle East. The following table lists confirmed broadcasters by country and region.
- ๐ฆ๐ซ Afghanistan - ATN
- ๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania - TV Klan
- ๐ฉ๐ฟ Algeria - beIN SPORTS Connect
- ๐ฆ๐ฉ Andorra - TVE La 1 | M6 | beIN Sports 1 | M6+
- ๐ฆ๐ท Argentina - Telefe Argentina | DIRECTV Sports Argentina | DGO | mitelefe | Paramount+
- ๐ฆ๐บ Australia - SBS | SBS On Demand
- ๐ฆ๐น Austria - ORF eins | ORF ON
- ๐ง๐ช Belgium - La Une | Proximus Pickx | RTBF Auvio Direct | Sporza
- ๐ง๐ด Bolivia - Red Uno | Unitel | Tigo Sports Bolivia | Disney+ Premium Chile | Entel TV
- ๐ง๐ฆ Bosnia and Herzegovina - Arena Sport
- ๐ง๐ท Brazil - SporTV | Globo | Globoplay | SBT | Zapping | N Sports | Claro TV+ | Sky+ | CazรฉTV | Vivo Play
- ๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria - BNT
- ๐จ๐ฆ Canada - TSN+ | TSN1 | CTV | RDS App | CTV App | Crave
- ๐จ๐ฑ Chile - Chilevision | DIRECTV Sports Chile | DGO | Disney+ Premium Chile | Paramount+
- ๐จ๐ด Colombia - Caracol TV | RCN Television | DIRECTV Sports Colombia | DGO | Deportes RCN En Vivo | Caracol Play | ditu | Radio Nacional de Colombia | Paramount+
- ๐จ๐ท Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7 | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | TDMAX | FOX
- ๐ญ๐ท Croatia - HRTi
- ๐จ๐พ Cyprus - Sigma TV
- ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia - ฤT Sport | OnePlay
- ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark - TV2 Denmark | TV2 Play Denmark
- ๐ช๐จ Ecuador - DIRECTV Sports Ecuador | DGO | Teleamazonas | Paramount+
- ๐ธ๐ป El Salvador - Canal 4 El Salvador | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports El Salvador | FOX
- ๐ช๐ช Estonia - Go3 Extra Sports Estonia
- ๐ซ๐ฏ Fiji - FBC Sports
- ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland - MTV3 | MTV Urheilu 1 | MTV Katsomo
- ๐ซ๐ท France - M6 | beIN Sports 1 | M6+ | beIN SPORTS CONNECT | Molotov | Free | 6play | myCANAL
- ๐ฉ๐ช Germany - ZDF | MagentaTV
- ๐ฌ๐น Guatemala - TeleOnce Guatemala | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Chapin TV | Tigo Sports Guatemala | FOX
- ๐ญ๐ณ Honduras - Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports Honduras | FOX
- ๐ญ๐ฐ Hong Kong - ViuTV | 616 Now Sports 4K | 618 Now Sports
- ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia - TVRI | Vidio | TVRI Sport
- ๐ฎ๐ท Iran - beIN SPORTS Connect
- ๐ฎ๐ช Ireland - RTร
- ๐ฎ๐น Italy - DAZN Italia | RAI 1 | RaiPlay
- ๐ฏ๐ต Japan - DAZN Japan | NHK | NHK+ | BS Premium 4K | Nippon TV | Fuji TV
- ๐ฝ๐ฐ Kosovo - RTK1 | ArtMotion | TV Vala Kosovo Telecom
- ๐ฒ๐ด Macau - ViuTV
- ๐ฒ๐บ Mauritius - New World Sport App
- ๐ฒ๐ฝ Mexico - Canal 5 Televisa | Azteca 7 | TUDN En Vivo | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | ViX Mexico
- ๐ Middle East and North Africa - beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- ๐ณ๐ต Nepal - Himalaya TV | DGO | Himalaya Sports TV
- ๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands - NPO 1 | Ziggo Go | Canal+ Netherlands
- ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand - TVNZ 1 | TVNZ+
- ๐ณ๐ฎ Nicaragua - Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports Nicaragua | FOX
- ๐ณ๐ด Norway - TV 2 Direkte | TV 2 Play
- ๐ต๐ฆ Panama - RPC | TVN Panama | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | TVMax | Medcom GO | Tigo Sports Panama | FOX
- ๐ต๐ช Peru - DIRECTV Sports Peru | DGO | Disney+ Premium Chile | Paramount+
- ๐ต๐น Portugal - Sport TV
- ๐ท๐ด Romania - Antena 1 | Antena Play
- ๐ธ๐ฒ San Marino - DAZN Italia | RAI 1 | RaiPlay
- ๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore - Singtel TV GO | meWATCH
How to Access Coverage from Outside Your Country
Broadcast rights are almost always tied to geography. A streaming platform authorised to carry an event in Germany will, by default, block access to users whose internet connection originates from France or the United States. This is standard practice in rights licensing, and it applies to both free-to-air broadcasters with streaming arms and subscription services alike.
A Virtual Private Network - commonly referred to as a VPN - resolves this by routing your internet connection through a server located in the country of your choice, masking your actual location. Reputable paid services such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark offer the connection stability and unblocking capability that live streaming demands. Free VPN services consistently fall short on both counts and are not recommended for time-sensitive broadcasts. The practical steps are straightforward:
- Sign up for a paid VPN service and install the application on your device.
- Connect to a server in the country whose broadcast platform you wish to access.
- Open the streaming platform in a private or incognito browser window to prevent residual cookies from revealing your actual location.
- Log in and access the live stream as normal.
One important caveat: using a VPN to circumvent geographic access restrictions may violate the Terms of Service of the streaming platform in question. This does not carry legal risk for the individual viewer in most jurisdictions, but it is a condition users accept when registering for these services, and platforms may suspend accounts found to be in breach. Anyone choosing this route should be aware of that distinction.
