EBU secures rights for FIFA World Cup 2026™ & FIFA World Cup 2030™
28 October 2024Football fans across Europe will now have access to FIFA World Cup 2026™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™, following the European Broadcasting Union’s acquisition of comprehensive media rights packages for both tournaments, on behalf of seven EBU Members, spanning five territories.
Under this agreement, EBU Members have committed to delivering extensive coverage of the tournaments, across TV, digital, and radio.
Eurovision News will also support in coverage of the events, ensuring diverse reporting for EBU Members throughout the competitions.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™ will be broadcast free-to-air by EBU Members in the following territories: Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Israel* and Hungary.
*FIFA World Cup 2026™ only
The new deal reflects a longstanding relationship between the EBU and FIFA, following historic media rights agreements for the 2022 competition in Qatar and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.
Glen Killane, Executive Director, EBU Sport, said: “Building on our long-standing partnership with FIFA, this agreement will bring the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and 2030™ to millions of football fans across Europe.
“This deal highlights the EBU’s unwavering commitment to helping our Members deliver world-class sports coverage to their audiences.”
The FIFA World Cup will enter a new era in 2026, when FIFA introduces a groundbreaking new format featuring 48 teams and 104 matches. The tournament will take place from 11 June to 19 July in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, uniting the world through football and creating the most compelling sporting event in history.
The FIFA World Cup 2030™, meanwhile, will mark the centenary of the tournament. Morocco, Portugal and Spain’s joint bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030™ has been confirmed as the sole candidate for the tournament by the FIFA Council. The FIFA Council also unanimously agreed to host a unique centenary celebration ceremony in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, where the first-ever FIFA World Cup took place in 1930, as well as three World Cup matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Subject to a successful bidding process, the final decision will be taken by the FIFA Congress in December 2024.