Will FIFA World Cup 2026 matches be viewable in India? AIFF finally breaks silence amid broadcast rights confusion

Less than a month remains before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but uncertainty over its broadcast in India has left football fans worried. With no official Indian broadcaster confirmed yet, questions are growing over where crores of fans will watch the biggest football tournament in the world.

The issue has now reached the Delhi High Court after a petition demanded that the World Cup be shown on free-to-air platforms such as DD Sports and Doordarshan. The court has issued notices to the central government and Prasar Bharati regarding the matter.

Delhi High Court steps in over World Cup telecast issue

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled to begin on June 11, and excitement among Indian football supporters is already at its peak. However, the absence of an official broadcasting partner in India has created major confusion.

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A petition filed by lawyer Avdhesh Vairya argued that the FIFA World Cup has already been recognised as a “sporting event of national importance” under the Sports Broadcasting Rights Act, 2007. According to the plea, the government and Prasar Bharati are therefore responsible for ensuring that the tournament is accessible to the public.

During the hearing, Justice Purushendra Kumar Kaurav directed notices to the Centre and Prasar Bharati, seeking their response on the matter.

Why no broadcaster has purchased FIFA World Cup rights yet

The petition further stated that Prasar Bharati already has the infrastructure needed to telecast the tournament through DD Sports, DD Free Dish and the WAVES OTT platform. It also argued that failure to broadcast the World Cup could violate citizens’ rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution.

Initially, FIFA reportedly valued the Indian media rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups at nearly 100 million USD. Later, the price was reduced to around 35 million USD after negotiations. Despite that, JioHotstar reportedly refused the deal, while Sony Sports Network showed interest but did not place a bid.

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Now, all eyes are on Doordarshan and whether India’s public broadcaster can step in to rescue football fans from missing the mega event.