The FIFA World Cup 2026, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, gets underway in a few hours from now. The first game of the World Cup will see co-host Mexico take on South Africa at the iconic Aztec Stadium.
The 23rd edition of the men's FIFA World Cup will be the largest in the tournament's history. For the first time, 48 teams will compete for football's most coveted prize, with a record 104 matches scheduled across 16 host cities spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The expanded format has also resulted in an unprecedented rise in player participation. A total of 1,248 footballers from 449 clubs across 71 countries have been selected for the tournament. Of them, 357 players have previously featured in a FIFA World Cup squad, while 891 will be making their World Cup debuts.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will also mark a historic milestone for four nations. Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan have all secured qualification for their maiden appearances at football's biggest tournament, bringing fresh stories and new ambitions to an already landmark edition of the World Cup.
To bring all the action from the biggest football event of the year to India, FIFA has tied up with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. Under the agreement Zee will be broadcasting and streaming all the World Cup matches via its four TV channels (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD in Hindi and Unite8 Sports 2, Unite8 Sports 2 HD in English) and streaming platform the Zee5 app and wesite.
Additionally a select few matches will also be shown on Doordarshan, India's state broadcaster. The matches will now be available on Doordarshan Sports 1.0, significantly expanding free-to-air access for viewers across India.
Under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007, any content rights owner, rights holder, television broadcaster or radio broadcaster is required to simultaneously share the live signal of a sporting event deemed to be of national importance with Prasar Bharati before carrying the broadcast in India. The signal must be provided without advertisements, allowing Prasar Bharati to retransmit the coverage through its terrestrial and direct-to-home networks.
The legislation is designed to ensure that sporting events classified as being of national importance remain accessible to a wider audience, regardless of whether the commercial broadcasting rights are held by a private entity.
In a notification issued on May 9, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting identified several sporting events as events of national importance. These included the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, as well as select competitions in cricket, football, hockey, tennis, badminton, kabaddi, the Khelo India Games and other disciplines. For football, the notification specifically included the opening match, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Doordarshan Sports will be broadcasting the opening match of the World Cup (which is Mexico v South Africa), the four Quarter Final matches, the two Semi Finals and the Final.
Details of the matches to be broadcast on Doordarshan Sports are as follows in Indian Standard Time:
- Opening Match (Mexico v South Africa): 12.30 AM IST June 12
- Quarterfinal 1: 1.30 AM IST July 10
- Quarterfinal 2: 12.30 AM IST July 11
- Quarterfinal 3 Date: 2.30 AM IST July 12
- Quarterfinal 4: 6.30 AM IST July 12
- Semifinal 1: 12.30 AM IST July 15
- Semifinal 2: 12.30 AM IST July 16
- Final: 12.30 AM IST July 20
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2026 Telecast: Where To Watch On TV In India? Check Channel Numbers
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