Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal... Nestory Irankunda? They may well be in the Golden Boot conversation come the end of World Cup 2026, but the tournament's real MVP? That would be SBS.
The free-to-air Australian broadcast network is televising all 104 games of the World Cup between its SBS and SBS Viceland channels, with live streaming available via its SBS on Demand platform.
Coverage tops out at 1080p, but in all other senses they've pulled out all the stops, with an intuitive World Cup hub, daily preview and highlights shows, and extensive highlights of each and every fixture, within the hour.
So how do you access SBS outside Australia — in the U.S. or Canada, for instance? Read on as we explain how to watch the World Cup on SBS for free from anywhere.
Watch World Cup 2026 on SBS for free
Footy fans in Australia can watch all 104 matches from the 2026 World Cup for FREE on SBS On Demand. And, yes, that includes every Socceroos fixture.
SBS is completely free to use – no messy sign ups, just a simple free World Cup stream. But only if you're in Australia, otherwise you'll be geo-blocked.
OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA? No problem. We use Norton VPN to watch SBS when traveling abroad, visiting the U.S., Canada, the U.K., or any other country. It works perfectly.
Watch World Cup on SBS from anywhere
Although SBS on Demand is only available to viewers in Australia, if you're visiting the U.S. or Canada from Down Under, you'll be able to access the streaming service's free World Cup coverage with a good VPN. Norton VPN is our No.1 pick for fast streaming:
It's easy to watch the World Cup on SBS:
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, Norton VPN is our favorite for streaming.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view an Australian service, you'd select Australia from the list.
3. Stream live. Head to SBS on Demand to catch every World Cup game for free.
SBS Q+A
What does SBS' World Cup coverage include?
All 104 games of the World Cup will be available to live stream on SBS on Demand.
Not only that, but they're all going to be available as full replays (within 40 minutes of the final whistle), and as 30-minute, 12-minute and three-minute highlights packages (within an hour of full-time) too.
The World Cup hub on the SBS website also lets you customize your user interface by teams and groups.
SBS' coverage is led by Niav Owens and Claudio Fabiano, while punditry and analysis comes courtesy of Harry Kewell, Lydia Williams, Adriano, Andrew Redmayne, Luke Wilkshire, Sarah Walsh and Tommy Oar. David Basheer is anchoring commentary.
Remember. Use Norton VPN to watch World Cup 2026 on SBS, if you're traveling outside Australia to the U.S., Canada or beyond.
What devices can I watch SBS on?
Amazon Fire TV (Fire OS 5 & above)
Android mobile devices (Android 8.0 & above)
Android TV (select Sony, Kogan, TCL, Toshiba models running Android 9 & above)
Apple TV (4th Generation & above)
Chromecast (2nd Generation, 3rd Generation, Ultra)
Fetch (Gen 4, Gen 5)
Foxtel (iQ3, iQ4, iQ5)
Hisense smart TVs (2021 & newer)
Hubbl (Puck, Glass)
iOS devices (iOS 17 and above)
LG smart TVs (2017 models & newer)
Samsung smart TVs (2017 models & newer)
Web — sbs.com.au/ondemand
More from Tom's Guide
- How to watch World Cup 2026 for FREE
- How to watch World Cup in 4K
- How to set your VPN up for World Cup 2026 (and fix common problems)
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
