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.
- 🇦🇫 Afghanistan - ATN
- 🇦🇱 Albania - TV Klan
- 🇩🇿 Algeria - beIN SPORTS Connect
- 🇦🇩 Andorra - TVE La 1 | M6 | beIN Sports 1 | M6+
- 🇦🇷 Argentina - Telefe Argentina | DIRECTV Sports Argentina | DGO | mitelefe | Paramount+
- 🇦🇺 Australia - SBS | SBS On Demand
- 🇦🇹 Austria - ORF eins | ORF ON
- 🇧🇪 Belgium - La Une | Proximus Pickx | RTBF Auvio Direct | Sporza
- 🇧🇴 Bolivia - Red Uno | Unitel | Tigo Sports Bolivia | Disney+ Premium Chile | Entel TV
- 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina - Arena Sport
- 🇧🇷 Brazil - SporTV | Globo | Globoplay | SBT | Zapping | N Sports | Claro TV+ | Sky+ | CazéTV | Vivo Play
- 🇧🇬 Bulgaria - BNT
- 🇨🇦 Canada - TSN+ | TSN1 | CTV | RDS App | CTV App | Crave
- 🇨🇱 Chile - Chilevision | DIRECTV Sports Chile | DGO | Disney+ Premium Chile | Paramount+
- 🇨🇴 Colombia - Caracol TV | RCN Television | DIRECTV Sports Colombia | DGO | Deportes RCN En Vivo | Caracol Play | ditu | Radio Nacional de Colombia | Paramount+
- 🇨🇷 Costa Rica - Teletica Canal 7 | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | TDMAX | FOX
- ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· Croatia - HRTi
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus - Sigma TV
- 🇨🇿 Czechia - ČT Sport | OnePlay
- 🇩🇰 Denmark - TV2 Denmark | TV2 Play Denmark
- 🇪🇨 Ecuador - DIRECTV Sports Ecuador | DGO | Teleamazonas | Paramount+
- 🇸🇻 El Salvador - Canal 4 El Salvador | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports El Salvador | FOX
- 🇪🇪 Estonia - Go3 Extra Sports Estonia
- 🇫🇯 Fiji - FBC Sports
- 🇫🇮 Finland - MTV3 | MTV Urheilu 1 | MTV Katsomo
- 🇫🇷 France - M6 | beIN Sports 1 | M6+ | beIN SPORTS CONNECT | Molotov | Free | 6play | myCANAL
- 🇩🇪 Germany - ZDF | MagentaTV
- 🇬🇹 Guatemala - TeleOnce Guatemala | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Chapin TV | Tigo Sports Guatemala | FOX
- ðŸ‡ðŸ‡³ Honduras - Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports Honduras | FOX
- ðŸ‡ðŸ‡° Hong Kong - ViuTV | 616 Now Sports 4K | 618 Now Sports
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia - TVRI | Vidio | TVRI Sport
- 🇮🇷 Iran - beIN SPORTS Connect
- 🇮🇪 Ireland - RTÉ
- 🇮🇹 Italy - DAZN Italia | RAI 1 | RaiPlay
- 🇯🇵 Japan - DAZN Japan | NHK | NHK+ | BS Premium 4K | Nippon TV | Fuji TV
- 🇽🇰 Kosovo - RTK1 | ArtMotion | TV Vala Kosovo Telecom
- 🇲🇴 Macau - ViuTV
- 🇲🇺 Mauritius - New World Sport App
- 🇲🇽 Mexico - Canal 5 Televisa | Azteca 7 | TUDN En Vivo | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | ViX Mexico
- 🌎 Middle East and North Africa - beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- 🇳🇵 Nepal - Himalaya TV | DGO | Himalaya Sports TV
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands - NPO 1 | Ziggo Go | Canal+ Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand - TVNZ 1 | TVNZ+
- 🇳🇮 Nicaragua - Azteca Deportes En Vivo | Tigo Sports Nicaragua | FOX
- 🇳🇴 Norway - TV 2 Direkte | TV 2 Play
- 🇵🇦 Panama - RPC | TVN Panama | Azteca Deportes En Vivo | TVMax | Medcom GO | Tigo Sports Panama | FOX
- 🇵🇪 Peru - DIRECTV Sports Peru | DGO | Disney+ Premium Chile | Paramount+
- 🇵🇹 Portugal - Sport TV
- 🇷🇴 Romania - Antena 1 | Antena Play
- 🇸🇲 San Marino - DAZN Italia | RAI 1 | RaiPlay
- 🇸🇬 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.
