The 2026 World Cup is the biggest tournament in history
FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 nations for 2026. That means 40% more matches, three host countries, and the first true continental tournament. Ireland fans face the biggest scheduling challenge in football history — kick-offs spread across five time zones from Vancouver to Miami.
How to watch every match from Ireland
There are three paths, each with trade-offs:
1. Free-to-air (RTÉ, BBC, ITV)
RTÉ Sport will broadcast the Republic of Ireland's fixtures if they qualify, plus selected group-stage and all knockout matches. BBC and ITV (received via Saorview, satellite or VPN) cover the English-language feed for additional games. The catch: matches overlap with other broadcasters, so you cannot watch everything live without switching cable boxes.
2. Pay-TV (Premier League / UCL, BT Sport)
TNT Sport / BT Sport will carry full coverage in Ireland — but the combined subscription costs around €85+/month, and you still need a separate box for catch-up and multiview.
3. IPTV Ireland — the complete option
With one IPTV Ireland subscription (from €19) you get every match in 4K from every broadcaster, plus multiview (up to 4 matches on one screen), 7-day catch-up so you can rewatch missed games, and the ability to stream on any device — Smart TV, Firestick, Apple TV, Android, iOS, MAG.
What broadcasters are included on IPTV Ireland
Our service carries every major broadcaster's World Cup feed, so you can pick your commentary language:
- RTÉ One & RTÉ 2 (Ireland) — Irish commentary, all matches RTÉ carries
- BBC One & BBC iPlayer (UK) — English commentary, free-to-air feed
- ITV1 & ITVX (UK) — English commentary, alternative feed
- Premier League channels & top-tier sports (UK/Ireland) — premium commentary
- BT Sport / TNT Sport (UK) — full 4K coverage
- beIN Sports (MENA & France) — Arabic and French commentary
- FOX Sports & Telemundo (USA) — English and Spanish feeds, official host-broadcaster angles
- Sportsnet & TSN (Canada)
- ZDF / ARD (Germany), TF1 (France), RAI (Italy), RTVE (Spain)