Which FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will Doordarshan broadcast in India for free?
They will live-broadcast all games for free from the quarterfinal onwards.
Indian fans will have another broadcasting channel to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026. Doordarshan Sports (DD Sports) confirmed they will cover the opening game of the World Cup. Additionally, they will also offer all games from the quarter-finals, semi-finals, as well as the final.
Moreover, the fans won’t have to pay to watch the fixtures; all the games will be telecast for free. It is a major breakthrough in live telecasting for the Indian football fans.
In a social media post, Doordarshan Sports announced that the Mexico vs South Africa opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be broadcast live on DD Sports (available via DD Free Dish).
Doordarshan confirms live telecast of a selective set of World Cup games
The competition is characterised as “football’s biggest festival” by DD Sports. The opening match will take place in the Mexico City Stadium.
The decision delivers the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match, quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final to Prasar Bharati for public broadcast.
The development is noteworthy since these matches will now be available on DD Sports 1.0, giving spectators more free-to-air access.
Earlier, it appeared that this World Cup, the fans wouldn’t be able to watch any games. FIFA weren’t able to strike a deal with an Indian broadcasting channel.
However, ZEE and FIFA were able to come to terms, with the Indian television channel to air all the World Cup matches. Now they have been joined by another broadcasting television network, Doordarshan (DD). They will broadcast the opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match and knockout games from the quarter-finals onwards.
Also read: Where and how to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 in India?
Which World Cup games will Doordarshan telecast?
They will telecast the opening game between Mexico and South Africa, and all knockout stage matches from the quarterfinals.
How much will fans have to pay to watch the matches?
They won’t have to pay anything as it will be telecast for free.
Which other Indian television channel will live-stream the FIFA World Cup 2026 games?
Fans can also live-broadcast the game on TV on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD).
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.
After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.