There's still time to upgrade your TV before the World Cup, and my top pick is this huge 75-inch Mini-LED TV for just $599

The Hisense U65QF Mini-LED TV displaying the FIFA World Cup trophy. A super-imposed badge reads: "TG Flex for Less". — (Image credit: Hisense)

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been fielding a flurry of requests for TV-buying advice ahead of the biggest event in sports: the FIFA World Cup. It would seem as though footy fans from all around the globe are using the competition as an excuse to kick their old, out-of-date TVs to the curb.

The vast majority of people I’ve spoken to are trying to save as much money as they can on a new set, and I don’t blame them. Everything is expensive right now, and if the TV you’re looking to replace is old enough, you don’t need to shell out thousands of dollars in order to get an impressive-looking upgrade.

The 75-inch Hisense U65QF is just $599 at Best Buy right now, and it meets my criteria for a World Cup upgrade. It’s big, bright and remarkably affordable.

The U65QF sets itself apart from other ultra-affordable, big-screen TVs with one key feature: Mini-LED backlighting.

Sure, you’re not getting the sort of eye-popping performance of a flagship-level Mini-LED TV, but at the U65QF’s price point, it’s not easy to find Mini-LED backlighting at all.

So while you won’t be basking in the glow of a multi-thousand-dollar TV, you’re getting better brightness and contrast control with the U65QF than what you’re likely to find on an edge-lit, 75-inch TV.

Trust me: If you’re going to go as big as 75 inches, the last thing you want is a chintzy, edge-lit panel. The U65QF’s modest array of Mini-LEDs will illuminate the pitch better than those bottom-of-the-barrel sets.

According to our test results (which you can peruse in our Hisense U65QF review), this is the brightest TV in its class. No other entry-level Mini-LED TV we’ve tested in the last year comes close to the U65QF’s punchy performance.

Hisense U65QF in an apartment — (Image credit: Hisense)

Look, I’ve got to be real with you: I don’t yet know where all of these World Cup games are going to be shown. But I do know that you’ll be able to watch most of them on the U65QF. This TV is built around the Fire TV smart platform, and while it’s not my top pick for streaming, it still supports YouTube TV, Fubo, Tubi or whatever app is piping-in all of the action.

The World Cup just happens to arrive at an already-awesome time to save a bunch of money on a TV, as sets like the U65QF are crashing in price as newer models hit the market.

This TV’s original price was $1,299. Today, it’s $599. If you want a big, bright screen ahead of the World Cup and don’t want to feel it financially for the rest of the year, I can’t think of a better option.

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Michael Desjardin is a Senior Editor for TVs at Tom's Guide. He's been testing and tinkering with TVs professionally for over a decade, previously for Reviewed and USA Today. Michael graduated from Emerson College where he studied media production and screenwriting. He loves cooking, zoning out to ambient music, and getting way too invested in the Red Sox. He considers himself living proof that TV doesn't necessarily rot your brain.