The countdown is nearly over for the world's biggest football festival, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to kick off on 11 June 2026. Yet the biggest question troubling Thai football fans is, "Has Thailand purchased the broadcast rights yet?" Amid government assurances that "Thais must be able to watch," we analyze the situation of broadcast rights pricing compared to neighboring countries.
Let's understand why the value of the World Cup 2026 broadcast rights is projected to rise to unprecedented levels.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The number of teams has increased to 48 from the previous 32, resulting in a total of 104 matches, nearly double before.
When will the 2026 World Cup take place? The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
With more matches, FIFA has raised the ceiling for broadcast rights fees accordingly.
Although Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has firmly affirmed that the World Cup must be broadcast in Thailand, saying "Every government has made sure that Thais can watch the World Cup, so why would ours be an exception?" in practice, major obstacles remain.
The enormous budget is a key barrier; estimates suggest broadcast rights fees could soar to between 1.6 and 2 billion baht.
Delayed negotiations mean that as the kickoff date approaches, Thailand's bargaining power with FIFA agents diminishes further.
Many wonder if purchasing rights at the last moment might result in lower prices.
The "more expensive" view holds that if FIFA believes Thailand has no alternative but to buy to satisfy public demand and maintain political support, they may refuse to lower the price, knowing the Thai government "must pay" regardless of cost.
The "cheaper" perspective suggests that if only days remain and no other buyers exist, agents might reduce prices somewhat to recover some revenue rather than lose the deal entirely—though prices would still remain high.
Although budget figures and main hosts remain unclear, based on "customary practice" and "social pressure," it is expected the government will use the same model as before—raising funds from state enterprises and major private sector players to close the deal before the tournament begins.
CONCACAF zone: Mexico, United States, Canada (3 co-hosts), Panama, Haiti, Curaçao (first time).
South America zone: Argentina (defending champions), Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay.
Oceania zone: New Zealand.
Asia zone: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Uzbekistan (first time), Jordan (first time), Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq.
Africa zone: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde (first time), South Africa, Ivory Coast, Senegal, DR Congo.
Europe zone: England, France, Croatia, Portugal, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Scotland, Turkey, Sweden, Czech Republic, Bosnia.
Groups. | Team listings by group. |
Group A. | Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic. |
Group B. | Canada, Bosnia, Qatar, Switzerland. |
Group C. | Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland. |
Group D. | United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey. |
Group E. | Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador. |
Group F. | Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia. |
Group G. | Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand. |
Group H. | Spain, Cape Verde Islands, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia. |
Group I. | France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway. |
Group J. | Argentina (defending champions), Algeria, Austria, Jordan. |
Group K. | Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia. |
Group L. | England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama. |