⏭ Next global match
🇦🇺Australia vs Egypt🇪🇬
Round of 32 · Jul 3 · 8:00 PM CEST · in 6h 20m · 📺 MagentaTV (stream/cable)
How to Watch World Cup 2026 in Germany
By law, all of Germany's games, the opening match, both semifinals and the final are FREE on ARD and ZDF (and their Mediatheken) — 60 of the 104 matches, no subscription. The other 44 are exclusive to MagentaTV, which carries all 104; its Flex plan is €11/month and cancellable monthly, so the whole tournament costs about €22. Here's what's free, whether MagentaTV is worth it, and every kickoff in CEST.
- 11 Jun – 19 Jul
- 60 games free on ARD/ZDF (by law)
- MagentaTV: all 104 (44 exclusive, €11/mo)
- Final: Sun 19 Jul · 9 PM CEST · ZDF
- Die Mannschaft out in Round of 32
60Free on ARD/ZDF
44MagentaTV exclusive
€11MagentaTV · month
9 PMFinal CEST · ZDF
World Cup 2026 Matches Today in Germany — Channel & Kickoff (CEST)
Here's what's on today and for the next three days, with every kickoff in CEST and a channel badge on each game — so you know instantly whether it's free on ARD or ZDF or one of the 44 MagentaTV-exclusive matches. Like the UK, Germany gets an evening World Cup, so most games land after dinner rather than overnight. Tap ⏰ for a reminder, and switch the day tabs to plan your week.
Today, Fri, Jul 3 · times in Germany (CEST)
- 8:00 PMCESTAustraliavs EgyptRound of 32📺 MagentaTV €11/mo⏰Match page soon
1 games in this window — 1 free on ARD/ZDF, 2 exclusive to MagentaTV. Times in Germany (CEST). Tap ⏰ for a reminder.
- ARDFree-to-air (Rundfunkbeitrag)
- ZDFFree-to-air; opener + final
- MediathekFree stream, no signup
- MagentaTVAll 104, 44 exclusive (€11/mo)
- Free60 games free by law (MStV §13)
ARD, ZDF or MagentaTV? Find Any World Cup 2026 Match
With 60 games free on ARD/ZDF by law and 44 exclusive to MagentaTV, the real question in Germany isn't price — it's which channel has your game, and whether it's one of the free 60. Pick a team, or switch to By channel to see the free ARD/ZDF ties and the MagentaTV exclusives side by side, every kickoff in CEST.
Germany are out, but the run to the final stays free: both semifinals and the final (Sun 19 July, 9 PM CEST, on ZDF) are free on ARD/ZDF by law. You only need MagentaTV (€11/month) if you want literally every game, including the 44 exclusives.
+ Full schedule soon
Germany · all matches (times in Germany (CEST))
- Group Evs Curaçao, Ivory Coast, EcuadorAll free on ARD/ZDF📺 ARD / ZDF Free
- Round of 32vs ParaguayOut · 1–1 (3–4 pens)📺 ZDF Free(L pens)
✓ Die Mannschaft went out in the Round of 32, beaten by Paraguay on penalties — every Germany game was free on ARD/ZDF, and the semifinals and final stay free too.
Following a team? Where to watch in Germany (CEST):
- Germany (Die Mannschaft) — out in the Round of 32 on penalties to Paraguay; every Germany game was free on ARD/ZDF, and the semis and final stay free too.
- Argentina (Messi) — Round of 32 vs Cape Verde around midnight CEST — a marquee tie, free on ARD/ZDF.
- Spain — Round of 32 vs Austria at 9 PM CEST, free on ARD/ZDF.
- Portugal (Ronaldo) — Round of 32 vs Croatia at 1 AM CEST, free on ARD/ZDF.
- The 44 exclusives — lower-profile group and knockout ties are MagentaTV-only for €11/month — the only games not on free TV.
The rule in Germany: every Germany game, both semifinals and the final are free on ARD/ZDF by law. You only need MagentaTV (€11/month) for the 44 exclusive games.
ARD, ZDF, MagentaTV & Waipu — Every Platform, Explained
Three names split Germany's World Cup, and it helps to know what each carries — plus why "free" here is a legal guarantee, not a bonus.
| Platform | Language | Matches | Free? | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARD (Das Erste) | German | 30 of the 60 | FREE Free (Rundfunkbeitrag) | TV + ARD Mediathek (no signup) |
| ZDF | German | 30 of the 60 | FREE Free (Rundfunkbeitrag) | Opener + final; ZDFmediathek |
| ARD/ZDF Mediathek | German | The 60 free games | FREE Free | Live stream, no registration |
| MagentaTV | German | All 104 (44 exclusive) | $ €11/mo Flex | 4K; works on any provider |
| Waipu.tv | German | ARD/ZDF (the 60) | FREE Partly (Sport-Modus) | Reduced-latency; no MagentaTV exclusives |
Germany is unusual: under the Medienstaatsvertrag (MStV §13), events of major importance — the opener, all German national-team games, both semifinals and the final — must be shown on free-to-air TV. That's why ARD/ZDF are guaranteed to carry them for free, no matter who holds the main rights (Deutsche Telekom/MagentaTV). And ARD/ZDF aren't a subscription: they're public broadcasters funded by the Rundfunkbeitrag most households already pay, with free Mediathek streaming and no account needed.
⚠ Two honest notes: (1) the 44 exclusive games have no free alternative in Germany — the Mediatheken and IPTV services like Waipu.tv only carry the ARD/ZDF 60. (2) ARD and ZDF aren't "pay-TV": they're public broadcasters funded by the Rundfunkbeitrag most households already pay, so there's no separate World Cup charge.
World Cup 2026 Kickoff Times in Germany (CEST) — an Evening Tournament
Good news on timing: like the UK, Germany gets an evening World Cup. The country is on CEST (UTC+2) and the matches are in North America, so most kick off in the German evening — a US 3 PM ET game is 9 PM in Germany, and the final (Sunday 19 July) kicks off at 9 PM CEST on ZDF. Only a few late US-West games stretch to 2–6 AM: no dawn alarms like Japan, no midnight marathons like India.
| US kickoff | Germany (CEST) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 noon ET | 6:00 PM CEST | 🟢 Evening |
| 3:00 PM ET | 9:00 PM CEST | 🟢 Evening (incl. final) |
| 6:00 PM ET | 12:00 AM CEST | 🟡 Late |
| 9:00 PM ET | 3:00 AM CEST | 🔴 Overnight (few US-West) |
| Final · 3:00 PM ET | 9:00 PM CEST | 🏆 19 Jul · ZDF |
One thing streamers should know: ARD/ZDF Mediathek and MagentaTV run a bit behind classic broadcast TV, so a neighbour on cable or antenna might cheer the goal before you see it. Waipu.tv added a "Sport-Modus" to cut that delay for the ARD/ZDF games; for the fastest feed, classic ARD/ZDF broadcast still wins.
World Cup 2026 in Germany: Free on ARD/ZDF vs MagentaTV
Here's the one decision every German fan is actually making: is the free coverage enough, or do you pay for MagentaTV? Because 60 games — including all the important ones — are free by law, the answer is "no need to pay" for a lot of people. Here's the honest breakdown.
FREE · 60 games free on ARD/ZDF (by law, MStV §13)
Just the big matches? Free is enough
The opener, both semifinals and the final are free on ARD/ZDF by law (MStV §13) — no subscription needed.
Every match? Add MagentaTV
The 44 exclusive games are MagentaTV-only. Flex is €11/month, cancel monthly — about €22 for the whole tournament, in 4K.
Stream free, no signup
ARD and ZDF Mediathek stream all 60 free games live with no account required.
Cut the stream delay
Mediathek and MagentaTV run behind broadcast TV. Waipu.tv’s Sport-Modus reduces the lag for the ARD/ZDF games.
Want every match, including the 44 MagentaTV exclusives?Compare ARD/ZDF free vs MagentaTV €11 →
How Much Does the World Cup 2026 Cost in Germany?
60 games are free by law, so the only spend is optional. Here's what MagentaTV actually costs if you want the other 44 exclusives — cheapest first.
as of Jul 2026
| Option | Language | Matches | Price | Free trial | Semis + Final? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ARD + ZDF (free-to-air) | German | 60 of 104 | Free | — | ✅ Yes |
| 2. ARD/ZDF Mediathek | German | The 60 free games | Free | — | ✅ Yes |
| 3. MagentaTV Flex (monthly) | German | All 104 (44 excl.) | €11/mo (≈ $12) | — | ✅ Yes |
| 4. MagentaTV (whole tournament) | German | All 104 | ≈ €22 (2 months) | — | ✅ Yes |
Cheapest way to see everything = MagentaTV Flex at €11/month, cancellable monthly, so about €22 for the whole June–July tournament, in 4K, on any internet provider. Only want the big matches? The opener, both semifinals and the final are free on ARD/ZDF — €0. There's no extra charge for ARD/ZDF beyond the Rundfunkbeitrag most households already pay.
Die Mannschaft's World Cup: Every Germany Game, ARD or ZDF
Every German national-team game was free-to-air by law — split between ARD and ZDF, and on MagentaTV too. In Group E, Germany played all three group games on free TV before their tournament ended in a heartbreaker against Paraguay. Here's how it went, and where the free coverage goes from here.
🇩🇪 Germany — out in the Round of 32 (still free to the final) (times in Germany (CEST))
Jul 3 · 8:00 PM CEST — Round of 32Australia vs Egypt📺 MagentaTV €11/mo · Arlington (Dallas)
⏰Match page soon🔒 The 44 MagentaTV-exclusive games have no free alternative — but every semifinal and the final stay free on ARD/ZDF by law.
- Group E ✓ all free
- Round of 32 · out (pens vs Paraguay)
- Semifinals · free on ARD/ZDF
- Final · free on ZDF
- Final · 19 Jul · 9 PM CEST
It's a bitter one: Die Mannschaft went out in the Round of 32, losing to Paraguay on penalties after a 1–1 draw. The good news — the rest of the tournament, including both semifinals and the final (9 PM CEST, 19 July, on ZDF), stays completely free on ARD/ZDF by law. Pick a new team with the bracket and you won't pay a cent for the big finishes.
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German, but Abroad for the World Cup?
ARD/ZDF Mediathek and MagentaTV are geo-locked to Germany — from the US, Switzerland, Austria or the UK, they won't play. If you'd normally watch the free ARD/ZDF coverage (or subscribe to MagentaTV) at home, a VPN lets you connect back to a German server and watch the German-language coverage you're entitled to. With over 4 million Germans living abroad, the Mediathek geo-block is the main reason they can't stream ARD/ZDF while overseas.
ARDZDFARD/ZDF MediathekMagentaTV
How to watch ARD/ZDF & MagentaTV from abroad →For German residents connecting to their entitled home broadcasters while travelling. We list official, legal broadcasters only (ARD, ZDF, MagentaTV, Waipu.tv) and never link to pirated streams.
Printable World Cup 2026 Products
Watching the match is one job. Hosting everyone around it is another. If you are the person organizing the office pool, the pub table, the classroom activity or the family watch party, these printable products save you from building everything from scratch before kick-off.
World Cup 2026 Office Pool Template
$7.99A ready-to-copy Google Sheet with player setup, team draw, automatic leaderboard, payout calculator and a printable PDF kit. Built for the person who has to keep the pool fair, organized and easy to explain.
- Google Sheet
- Leaderboard
- Payout calculator
- Printable PDF kit
World Cup 2026 Bingo Mega Party Pack
$4.99 launchTwo printable bingo games in one download — 60 Flag Bingo cards plus 48 country calling cards, and 30 Moment Bingo cards — for watch parties, offices, pubs, classrooms and family match nights. A4 and US Letter PDFs, with simple rules anyone can spot.
- 90 printable cards
- A4 + US Letter
- Simple rules
- Party-ready PDFs
World Cup 2026 in Germany — Your Questions, Answered
Largely yes. ARD and ZDF show 60 of the 104 games free, including all Germany games, the opener, both semifinals and the final — guaranteed by law (MStV §13). The other 44 are exclusive to MagentaTV.
Only for the 44 exclusive games or to watch all 104. Germany's games and the finals are free on ARD/ZDF. MagentaTV Flex is €11/month, cancellable monthly — about €22 for the whole tournament — and works on any provider.
€11/month with the Flex plan (cancel monthly), so roughly €22 for June–July. It streams all 104 games in 4K, and no Telekom line is required.
Both, split by match. In Group E: vs Curaçao (ZDF), vs Ivory Coast (ARD), vs Ecuador (ZDF). Germany then went out in the Round of 32 on ZDF, losing to Paraguay on penalties. All Germany games were free.
No. They are funded by the Rundfunkbeitrag most households already pay — there is no separate World Cup charge, and the Mediatheken stream free without a signup.
CEST (UTC+2), mostly evening with a few overnight. The final is 9 PM CEST on Sunday 19 July on ZDF.
They are geo-locked to Germany. To watch the German coverage abroad, you can reconnect with a VPN via our watch-from-abroad guide.
Sources & last updated
Sources: Transfermarkt (WM 2026 TV) · Digitalfernsehen · CMS Law (media rights) · Live Soccer TV (Germany)
Last updated: 2 July 2026.
Written and fact-checked by the WatchWC26 editorial team. About our editorial standards.
We list official, legal broadcasters only (ARD, ZDF, MagentaTV, Waipu.tv). We never link to pirated streams. Channels, prices and schedules are checked against each broadcaster's official announcements — see Sources above.