The BBC and ITV will share coverage of the 2026 World Cup as England and Scotland both look to make a run in the tournament and the fixture split has been announced
The BBC will broadcast just one of England’s three World Cup group games, but will play host to three of their knockout ties if Thomas Tuchel’s side progress. ITV will get England’s opener against Croatia and the final group game against Panama, with the fixture split between the broadcasters confirmed.
England reached the quarter-finals in 2022 and the semis four years earlier. The expanded 48-team World Cup means there will be an extra knockout round, and the BBC will get the round of 32, round of 16 and semi-final if Thomas Tuchel’s team make it that far.
ITV will show the tournament opener, with Mexico up against South Africa. It’s a repeat of the 2010 opening fixture, when the Bafana Bafana were the hosts.
The BBC’s other games include the first fixtures played by Mexico’s co-hosts, Canada and the United States. They will also broadcast Scotland’s opener against Brazil as well as the match between Steve Clarke’s side and underdogs Haiti.
With ITV showing the first two games of the tournament on June 11, the first BBC selection will air on the following day. The Beeb’s first game will feature hosts Canada, with Wales the potential opponents if they can come through their qualifying play-offs.
Two of England’s group stage rivals were among their opponents in 2018. Panama suffered a 6-1 defeat in the group stage as England reached the final four, where Croatia handed Gareth Southgate’s team a painful defeat.
“It’s most important that we arrive with hunger,” England’s current boss Tuchel said ahead of his first World Cup. “We arrive with hunger and with excitement and arrive as a team. We don’t worry. We don’t worry about our opponents.
“So it makes no sense, we will not get carried away, we will not point out a pathway or whatever, we will just make sure we play well and do good in the group.”
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