Kickoff times are Eastern. Channels, times, and team news confirmed the morning of June 14, 2026.
Day 3 brought four matches and one real shock: Australia beat Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver, the upset of the tournament so far, with goals from Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe. Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in the day’s marquee game, Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 for their first World Cup win since 1990, and Qatar grabbed a late equalizer to draw 1-1 with Switzerland and claim their first ever point at a World Cup.
Today it is Germany’s turn to start, and they do it against the unlikeliest opponent in the entire field. There are four games across Group E and Group F, and the timing is kind early on: the two afternoon matches are free on FOX before everything moves to FS1 after dark.
If you are still sorting out your setup, the full how-to-watch guide covers every option from free to zero-hassle. And if you are still learning whose names matter, the 12 players to watch is the cheat sheet.
1 p.m. ET: Germany vs. Curaçao, FOX
This is the day’s headline for two very different reasons. Germany are four-time world champions making their 21st World Cup appearance, more than any other European nation, and they arrive in strong form under Julian Nagelsmann, who has them winning again after back-to-back group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022. Anything less than a comfortable win here would reopen every one of those old questions.
Curaçao are why the neutrals will tune in. The Caribbean island, population roughly 156,000, is the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup by both population and land area, and this is its tournament debut. The squad is full of players raised in the Dutch system, and it is coached by 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, who will become the oldest manager in World Cup history. Advocaat briefly stepped away in February to care for his daughter, then returned in May once her health improved. He is not pretending his side are favorites, but he has noted that West Germany once lost to a debutant Algeria in 1982, and a surprise is never quite impossible. The two countries have never met before, in any competition.
How to watch: FOX, free over the air with an antenna. Telemundo and Peacock carry it in Spanish.
4 p.m. ET: Netherlands vs. Japan, FOX
The most competitive game on the card. The Netherlands have reached three World Cup finals and lost all three, in 1974, 1978, and 2010, and no country has finished runner-up that often without ever winning the thing. Ronald Koeman has a deep, Premier League-heavy squad led by captain Virgil van Dijk and record scorer Memphis Depay. The one fitness question is goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who hurt his hip in a warm-up, so watch the lineup release about an hour before kickoff.
Japan are exactly the kind of opponent that makes a favorite nervous. They beat both Germany and Spain at the last World Cup, they scored more goals than anyone in Asian qualifying, and Hajime Moriyasu’s side counter quickly and punish mistakes. They do arrive shorthanded: captain Wataru Endo has retired from international football after a foot injury, and winger Kaoru Mitoma is out of the tournament with a hamstring problem. That puts more on Takefusa Kubo and striker Ayase Ueda, who scored freely in qualifying. The Dutch have never lost to Japan, but the last meeting that mattered was a 1-0 Dutch win at the 2010 World Cup, and both teams have changed a lot since then.
How to watch: FOX, free over the air. Telemundo and Peacock have it in Spanish.
7 p.m. ET: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, FS1
With Germany expected to win Group E, this is the game that probably decides second place, and it is a genuine toss-up between two of the stingiest defenses in the field. Ivory Coast are the reigning African champions, back at a World Cup for the first time since 2014, and they went through African qualifying unbeaten without conceding a goal under Emerse Faé. Their warm-up form was strong, including a friendly win over France, though defensive leader Evan Ndicka is a doubt with a thigh injury, so the lineup is worth a look. Ecuador are the quieter threat: one of the youngest squads at the tournament, built around Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo and a back line that barely conceded in South American qualifying. Neither side gives much away, so do not expect a goal rush.
How to watch: FS1, which means you need FOX One, a live-TV service, or a cable login. Telemundo and Peacock carry it in Spanish.
10 p.m. ET: Sweden vs. Tunisia, FS1
The nightcap, and a late one out of Monterrey, where the heat pushes kickoffs deep into the evening. Sweden are back at a World Cup for the first time since 2018, and the reason to stay up is up front: Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres, one of the most dangerous strike pairings in Europe, both fit and ready. Sweden took an awkward route here, finishing bottom of their qualifying group before rescuing it through the playoffs, so they have plenty to prove. Tunisia are the opposite kind of team: this is their third World Cup in a row, they are still chasing a first ever trip to the knockout rounds, and they went through African qualifying without conceding under new coach Sabri Lamouchi. Sweden’s firepower against Tunisia’s discipline is the key to this match.
How to watch: FS1, so the same FOX One, live-TV, or cable-login setup applies. Telemundo and Peacock carry it in Spanish.
The 30-second watch recap
- Spending nothing today: an antenna gets you both afternoon games on FOX, Germany at 1 and the Netherlands at 4. The two evening games are on FS1, so an antenna alone will not get you those in English. Telemundo carries all four in Spanish, free over the air.
- Every match, cheapest: FOX One at $19.99 a month carries today’s four and all 104.
- Zero hassle: if you already have YouTube TV or another live-TV service, every game is just there. Open the app at 1.
The full guide has the longer version, including the free-trial math.
Tomorrow the European champions get going
Monday brings four more: Spain vs. Cape Verde at noon on FOX, Belgium vs. Egypt at 3 p.m. on FOX, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay at 6 p.m., and Iran vs. New Zealand at 9 p.m. Spain, the European champions, opening against the debutants of Cape Verde is the headliner, and there is a familiar shape to the day: the first two are free on FOX, the last two move to FS1.
Then the biggest names land. Kylian Mbappé and France open Tuesday afternoon against Senegal, Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina go that night against Algeria, and Cristiano Ronaldo starts a record sixth World Cup with Portugal on Wednesday.
For today, it is four games, two of them free, and the smallest country in the tournament’s history walking out against the four-time champions. Worth a Sunday.
