M6 will broadcast 54 World Cup matches free-to-air in France

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M6 will broadcast 54 matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup free-to-air in France. GOAL explains how you can access these live games.

M6 is the exclusive free-to-air TV broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup in France this summer. The commercial channel outbid long-term World Cup TV rights holders TF1 to win the free-to-air rights to both the 2026 and 2030 World Cups.

Subscription network beIN Sports will broadcast all 104 matches from this summer's quadrennial football spectacular, but a total of 54 World Cup games will go out on M6 and its app and streaming platform M6+. The matches M6 will televise can also be watched through streaming platform Molotov.

GOAL takes you through which matches M6 will be showing, how you can watch the games online and more.

54 matches are being broadcast free-to-air on M6. The channel will be show 32 group games, nine round of 32 matches, six round of 16 clashes, three quarter-finals, both semi-finals, the third place play-off and the final.

While the individual matches from the first three knockout rounds will be confirmed upon the completion of previous rounds, based on M6's pre-tournament press pack, the round of 32, round of 16 and quarter-final matches that will not air on the channel are mostly set to be those that will kick off after midnight in central European summer time (CEST).

M6's management has stated that the network plans to broadcast games that kick off in primetime, with 17 of its 54 fixtures set to get underway at 9pm CEST. A further nine matches will kick off at 10pm CEST, with eight starting at 7pm CEST. Just seven of the group stage fixtures that M6 is set to show begin at midnight or later in France's timezone.

Here is a full list of the group stage fixtures from the 2026 World Cup that M6 will be showing, including their dates and times.

Les Blues begin their Group I campaign on Tuesday 16th June, with the 1998 and 2018 champions starting their search for a third title against Senegal at 9pm. France then face Iraq at 11pm on Monday 22nd June. Didier Deschamps' team will conclude their group matches in a meeting with Norway on Friday 26th June.

M6 has confirmed it will be televising all three of France's group games, plus every match from the knockout phase that features Les Blues.

Here is a full breakdown of the French TV coverage of France's Group I fixtures:

There is more than one way of accessing the channel via an app or the internet. The channel's own streaming platform M6+ will be carrying the 54 matches it is broadcasting for free, although you will first need to register an account.

Another streaming platform, Molotov, also offers M6 and M6+ through its app and website, with the network's match coverage and build-up programmes available to be watched live and on demand.

Subscription broadcaster beIN Sports holds TV rights to all 104 fixtures from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including 50 matches that are exclusive to the network in France.

If you are travelling abroad or just want to access your usual streaming services from a different part of the world, you may run into geo-restrictions. This is where a Virtual Private Network (VPN) comes in handy.

A VPN, such as ExpressVPN, allows you to establish a secure, encrypted connection online. By virtually changing your location to a country where the game is being broadcast, you can bypass blackout restrictions and watch your favourite team live. A step-by-step guide is described later in this article, or you can also check out our guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.