The European Broadcasting Union has expanded its FIFA World Cup rights package to cover Azerbaijan, Iceland and Malta for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments, bringing İctimai, RÚV and PBS into the fold.
The move builds on an initial agreement confirmed earlier this year that secured comprehensive rights for EBU Members in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Hungary for both editions, and in Israel for 2026. Broadcasters in the newly added markets will deliver extensive free-to-air coverage across TV, digital and radio, with Eurovision News supporting news-gathering and content exchange throughout both events.
EBU Sport executive Stefan-Eric Wildemann said the aim remains to make “the world’s biggest sporting moments available to everyone, free-to-air,” adding that the extension will allow “millions more fans” in the three territories to follow the tournaments.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will introduce an expanded 48-team, 104-match format and run from 11 June to 19 July across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The 2030 edition will mark the competition’s centenary, hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three commemorative opening-phase matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
