{"id":2200,"date":"2026-06-10T11:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T11:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2026-06-10T11:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T11:09:07","slug":"the-world-cup-is-starting-heres-what-to-know-and-how-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=2200","title":{"rendered":"The World Cup is starting. Here’s what to know and how to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

We’ve talked about the astronomical ticket prices. The fragile geopolitics that almost made Iran withdraw. And the summer heat posing a risk across host cities.<\/p>

Read more China re\u2011centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance<\/a><\/p>

Now, it’s finally time to talk about (and watch) the games.<\/p>

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Soccer Edition <\/h3>\n

Soccer was once considered niche in the U.S. Then came the 1994 World Cup<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The first matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America kick off Thursday with Mexico vs. South Africa and South Korea vs. Czech Republic. The first game for the United States will be against Paraguay on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.<\/p>

This summer, 48 men’s national teams will compete in the World Cup’s biggest tournament ever. You can find all of NPR’s World Cup coverage over the next six weeks in our series Soccer Edition. But here are a few of the basics to get you started.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n\n

The timeline<\/h3>

The first round, also known as the group stage, will run through . There are 12 groups consisting of four teams each, and each team will play against the other three. The top 32 countries will advance.<\/p>

How are the teams ranked? Well, winning a match = 3 points; a draw = 1 point; and a loss = nada. The top two teams of each group will make it to the next round, as well as eight of the best third-place teams.<\/p>

Once that’s settled, it’s time for the knockout phase. This is when the tournament starts to become a real nail-biter. From here on, the result of a single match will determine each team’s fate. First, 32 teams will face off between . Then, the remaining 16 teams will compete from .<\/p>

The quarterfinals are , and the semifinals are . A match to see which team places third will be on . And the final will be on .<\/p>

How do I watch?<\/h3>

As of Wednesday, a trove of seats is still available to watch the games in person. Ticket prices, however, remain high.<\/p>

For those planning to watch at home, Fox has exclusive English-language rights to broadcast the World Cup in the United States.<\/p>

Read more ICE denies having a protester database. But a letter to Congress sheds more light<\/a><\/p>\n

That means, if you have cable, you should be able to access the games for free as long as Fox and Fox Sports’ cable channel FS1 are included in your TV package. (Some matches will air on Fox and others on FS1. Check here.)<\/p>

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\"A<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Soccer Edition <\/h3>\n

39 World Cup teams will be based in the U.S. Here’s which squad will be closest to you<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

For those planning to stream, the games will be available live and on demand via the Fox One app with a paid subscription. Meanwhile, with a free sign-in on Tubi, a streaming service owned by Fox Corp., you can watch the opening ceremony and two early matches: Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 and the U.S. vs. Paraguay on June 12.<\/p>

For fans looking to watch the games in Spanish, Telemundo will air 104 matches, through either its main channel or a secondary network, Universo. All of Telemundo’s coverage will be carried live and on demand on Peacock with a paid subscription.<\/p>

Which countries are in the World Cup?<\/h3>

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic<\/p>

Group B: Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland<\/p>

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland<\/p>

Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey<\/p>

Group E: Germany, Cura\u00e7ao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador<\/p>

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia<\/p>

Group G: Belgium. Egypt, Iran, New Zealand<\/p>

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay<\/p>

Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway<\/p>

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan<\/p>

Group K: Portugal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia<\/p>

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama<\/p>

What’s new?\u00a0<\/h3>

Even before the opening ceremony, this World Cup will be one for the history books. That’s because of its sheer scale. For the first time, the tournament will be played across three host countries. A record 48 countries will compete \u2014 up from 32 \u2014 in 104 matches. That includes four debutants: Cape Verde, Cura\u00e7ao, Jordan and Uzbekistan.<\/p>

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\"Praia,<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Soccer Edition <\/h3>\n

Cape Verde: Tiny nation, massive World Cup dream<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Also for the first time, the final, which will be held at MetLife Stadium field in New Jersey (known as New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament), will feature a Super Bowl-like halftime show with headliners Shakira, Madonna and BTS.<\/p>

And a new rule means that any player who covers his mouth duringa confrontation with an opponent may be penalized with a red card, which results in immediate dismissal from the field and suspension from the subsequent match. The rule is meant to prevent athletes from using discriminatory language during games. It also says a red card may be given to any player who leaves the field in protest of a referee’s decision.<\/p>\n

Who are the favorites?<\/h3>

In World Cup history, only eight teams have ever won: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England and Spain. All of these countries (with the exception of Italy, which didn’t qualify this year) are considered major contenders this summer.<\/p>

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\"Players<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
\n

Soccer Edition <\/h3>\n

4 takeaways from the U.S. men’s final tune-up games before the World Cup<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Many fans are especially feeling good about and, specifically, its 18-year-old player, Lamine Yamal, who is quickly moving up in the soccer world as one of the greats. Others are eyeing for its strong cast of players, like Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9. Then there’s , the reigning champion. Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who is now captain of the MLS team Inter Miami, returns for his sixth World Cup. If the country goes all the way, it will be the first back-to-back World Cup victory since 1962.<\/p>

Read more Bill Gates to appear before Congress over Epstein involvement<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This summer, 48 men’s national teams will compete in the World Cup’s biggest tournament ever. Here are a few of the basics to get you started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nThe World Cup is starting. Here's what to know and how to watch - Best USA Movers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=2200\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The World Cup is starting. 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