World Cup 2026 — Predictions & TV

FIFA has introduced several rules for 2026 to speed up play and curb time-wasting. Goalkeepers must release the ball within five seconds, otherwise the opponent is awarded a corner. Substituted players have to leave the pitch quickly, or their team briefly plays a man short; after on-field treatment a player may only return after one minute. Two new red-card situations were added: covering the mouth during a confrontational exchange, and leaving the pitch in protest. The video assistant referee gets wider powers, and each half now includes a three-minute cooling break.

The Elo rating is a strength score that ranks each team by its results: beating strong opponents pushes it up, losing to weaker ones pulls it down. The higher the number, the stronger the team. It is the basis of our match predictions. For title and group chances we additionally factor in market signals (betting odds), so a team's forecast can differ from its raw Elo rank.

Under “Calendar” in the menu (balltics.com/en/kalender/) you can subscribe to the full schedule in one click – for Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook. Every match then appears with kick-off time, venue and broadcaster, and updates automatically. You will also find RSS feeds there to follow the games with AI tips.

With 48 teams and 104 matches, 2026 is the largest World Cup ever. For the first time a round of 32 follows the group stage: 32 teams reach the knockouts – the twelve group winners, the twelve runners-up and the eight best third-placed teams. Each half now also has a fixed cooling break, around the 22nd and 67th minute.

The 2026 World Cup is hosted by three countries for the first time: the USA, Canada and Mexico, across 16 host cities including New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The final is on 19 July at New York/New Jersey.

All 104 matches are broadcast live; which channel carries a given match depends on your country. The Balltics TV guide lists the broadcaster for every match and marks free-to-air versus pay TV.

Yes. Forecasts are recomputed daily: each result shifts the teams Elo strength ratings, so a pick and its hit rate can change right up to kick-off. Market signals are also factored in, so injuries or form swings are reflected.

In Germany, ARD and ZDF show 60 of the 104 matches free — including all three Germany games, the opening match and the final, plus every free-to-air pick on matchdays 1 and 2. MagentaTV carries all 104. Each match page shows its broadcaster; if no free-to-air channel is listed, the game is pay-only.

Venues are in the USA, Canada and Mexico, so kick-offs run roughly between 18:00 and 06:00 CEST. All times on Balltics are shown automatically in your local time zone (default: Central European Time).