40 years after Diego Maradona lifted the World Cup in Mexico City, soccer’s biggest international tournament returns to the country with the eyes of fans in Mexico and beyond getting ready to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While much about the tournament has of course changed in that intervening four decades — 48 teams, VAR, the back-pass rule, no Italy — other things seem always to remain true: France, Brazil and Germany are among the favorites, and Argentina’s challenge will be spearheaded by one of football’s greatest ever players.
Although Mexico themselves may not be expecting to progress further than the quarter-finals they made in 1986 (a campaign that ended cruelly on penalties to eventual runners-up Germany), the 13 matches the country is set to host includes the tournament opener at Estadio Azteca on Thursday, June 11. There will still be plenty of pressure resting on the shoulders of head coach Javier Aguirre, captain Edson Álvarez and the rest of the squad.
In this article, we outline the World Cup broadcasters in Mexico and what you need to do if you’re overseas and want to watch “El Tri” — including free live streams. There’s also information below on Mexico’s fixtures and, for trivia fans, some information about Mexico’s history in the FIFA World Cup.
Can I watch the World Cup for free in Mexico?
32 games will also be shown live by free-to-air broadcaster TV Azteca. Included in the list of free games are all those including Mexico, both semi-finals and the final on Sunday, July 19.
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In other countries, free coverage is available for every game, those countries are:
Those visiting Mexico for the World Cup can tap into their home stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.
How to watch World Cup 2026 from anywhere
If you’re away from Mexico and try to watch your your usual 2026 FIFA World Cup live streams, you’ll quickly find that they’re blocked. It’s the same for viewers from the U.K., Australia or Ireland wanting to watch their coverage.
Fortunately, you can still stream every single game live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software makes your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. Ideal for soccer fans away on vacation or on business. Our streaming favorite is Norton VPN.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
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1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, Norton VPN is good choice.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re overseas and want to view your Mexican streaming service, you’d select Mexico from the server list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head the relevant streaming platform and watch World Cup 2026.
How to watch World Cup 2026 in Mexico
The 2026 World Cup broadcasting arrangement in Mexico isn’t as straightforward as in most countries. Two networks have a share of the rights, with various channels and streaming platforms set to show matches.
The most comprehensive coverage comes from TelevisaUnivisión, which is showing all 104 matches of the tournament via its paid-for ViX streaming platform.
Anybody with ViX Premium Annual Plan can watch the games, while those with a ViX Premium Monthly Plan will have to purchase an additional World Cup Pass for MX$799.
As we alluded to above, 32 games will also be shown for free.
On TV, they’ll be shared around Azteca Uno, Azteca 7, Canal 5 and Las Estrellas, while Mexicans can also access free live streams through the TV Azteca website and app.
World Cup 2026 in Mexico: FAQ
What and when are Mexico’s group fixtures at the 2026 World Cup
Mexico’s three fixtures in Group A of the 2026 World Cup are:
Mexico vs South Africa: Thursday, June 11 at 1 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on TV Azteca
Mexico vs South Korea: Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m. CST / 9 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on TV Azteca
Mexico vs Czechia: Wednesday, June 24 at 7 p.m. CST / 9 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on TV Azteca
What are the odds for Mexico to win the World Cup 2026?
At the time of writing, DraftKings Sportsbook has Mexico as 16th favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup at +7500. It has France and Spain as joint favorites at +500.
Mexico are currently placed 15th in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, which is higher than all three of the other teams in their group.
Mexico’s captain Edson Alvarez (Image credit: Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
What stadiums will Mexico play in at the 2026 World Cup?
Although three stadiums in Mexico will host games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, “El Trio” will play group games in only two of them.
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host Mexico’s games with South Africa and Czechia. The iconic 83,000-capacity stadium has previously hosted two World Cup Finals in 1970 and 1986.
Estadio Akron in Guadalajara will host Mexico’s game with South Korea. The 48,000-capacity stadium is much newer than the Estadio Azteca, opening in 2010 and previously hosting only three matches for the national side.
If Mexico win Group A, they will play subsequent Round of 32 and 16 games in Mexico City.
Have Mexico hosted the FIFA World Cup before?
Mexico has twice before hosted World Cups, in 1970 and 1986. Both tournaments were won by South American teams; Brazil and Argentina respectively.
What is Mexico’s best performance at the FIFA World Cup?
Mexico’s best performance at the FIFA World Cup is the quarter-final stage. They reached the last eight at their two previous hosted tournaments in 1970 and 1986.
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