World football is moving home, at least for the Italian public. The 104 matches of the FIFA 2026 World Cup will be broadcast live exclusively on DAZN, marking a historic step in the distribution of the world's most watched sporting event. The agreement further strengthens the strategic partnership between the platform and FIFA, already consolidated with the 2025 Club World Cup and the relaunch of FIFA+.
The tournament, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, between Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will be the first in history to involve 48 national teams, with an unprecedented schedule that will culminate in the final scheduled for New York-New Jersey Stadium. For Italian fans, there will be no alternative television options: every match, from the opening match between Mexico and South Africa to the final, will be streamed on DAZN.
A result that the platform's management defines as historic. Stephen Azzi, CEO of DAZN Italy, speaks of a milestone that ushers in a new era for global football, underscoring the company's commitment to covering the World Cup in its entirety, focusing on innovation, editorial quality, and premium content. Along the same lines Shay Segev, which sees the agreement with FIFA as confirmation of DAZN's central role as a global partner for top-level sport.
An equally clear message comes from the headquarters of the world federation. Mattias Grafstrom highlights how the 2026 edition will be the most inclusive World Cup ever and welcomes the possibility for Italian fans to follow every single moment of the tournament through a single platform.
The decision also marks a turning point for the television rights market in Italy, definitively establishing streaming as the dominant channel for major sporting events. The 2026 World Cup will not only be a celebration of football, but also the ultimate test of a new way of experiencing sport, entirely live and without traditional networks.
I partially agree, the idea of a single player could benefit certain things, but at the same time it creates distortions; solutions are needed for less wealthy users and areas with weak networks. Let's hope that DAZN offers more flexible options and clearer technical support.
Interesting but not entirely clear: it seems that the entire 2026 World Cup will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN, with no alternatives; this creates problems for those without streaming, additional costs, and fragile connections. The decision seems hasty to me, with few technical or social guarantees for fans.