How to watch the World Cup in Netherlands – can I get a free stream?

Stream all 104 World Cup 2026 games free on NOS

ABROAD? Watch NOS from anywhere with Norton VPN (try risk-free)

Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Edwin van der Sar. And that's just the tip of a very deep iceberg. The Netherlands have produced an embarrassment of riches in terms of soccer talent over the years, and yet the big one – the FIFA World Cup – continues to elude them.

Could 2026 be the Oranje's year? In head coach Ronald Koeman they have another of those playing legends at the helm. And they waltzed through their qualifying group, winning six, drawing twice and scoring an impressive 27 goals in their eight games.

Although their squad may lack the instantly iconic names mentioned above, it does feature attacking fruits from the likes of the rejuvenated Memphis Depay, Barcelona playmaker Frenkie de Jong, in-form Cody Gakpo and exciting impact sub Crysencio Summerville. While in talismanic skipper Virgil van Dijk they have a rock in defence who could feasibly join Dutch soccer's Mount Rushmore in years to come.

And the best news for football fans in the Netherlands? Every game of this year's World Cup is 100% free to watch on TV and online. So read on as we explain how to watch World Cup 2026 in the Netherlands absolutely free.

Can I stream World Cup 2026 for free in the Netherlands?

Yes! All 104 games of the 2026 World Cup will be streamed live and for free in the Netherlands.

Dutch free-to-air broadcaster NOS has the rights to show all the action on TV, with most matches going out on NPO 1, and NPO 2 and NPO 3 picking up the slack when there are fixture clashes.

That means matches will also be available to stream live online through the NOS and NPO Start websites and apps, as well as through Ziggo Go if you have access.

If you're going to be traveling away from the Netherlands, then you can use a VPN to unlock your World Cup streams. Norton VPN is our top pick of the options...

Use a VPN to watch any World Cup 2026 stream

Travel outside the borders of the Netherlands and you'll soon discover that your usual domestic streaming options don't work. That means you won't be able to live stream World Cup games as you expected to.

Don’t worry, that’s exactly where a VPN can help. A virtual private network lets you connect to servers around the world so you can securely access your usual World Cup coverage as if you were back home.

We recommend Norton VPN. Here's why:

Where else can I stream World Cup 2026 for free?

Al 104 World Cup matches will be streamed for free in many countries around the world:.

🇬🇧 UK: BBC/ITV (English commentary)

🇦🇺 Australia: SBS On Demand (English commentary)

🇧🇷 Brazil: CazéTV's YouTube (no account required)

🇧🇪 Belgium: RTBF/VRT

🇮🇪 Ireland: RTE Player (English commentary)

🇳🇱 Netherlands: NOS

🇨🇭 Switzerland: SRF Play / RTS Play / RSI Play

🇹🇷 Turkey: TRT

Abroad? You can use a VPN to access local broadcasts and streaming services.

What is the World Cup 2026 schedule?

All times BST

Sunday, June 28

South Africa 0-1 Canada

Monday, June 29

6pm – Brazil 1-0 Japan – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

9.30pm – Germany vs Paraguay – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

Tuesday, June 30

2am – Netherlands vs Morocco – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

6pm – Ivory Coast vs Norway – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player10pm – France vs Sweden – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

Wednesday, July 1

2am – Mexico vs Ecuador – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

5pm – England vs DR Congo – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

9pm – Belgium vs Senegal – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

Thursday, July 2

1am – USA vs Bosnia-Herzegovina – BBC iPlayer, SBS, RTÉ Player

8pm – Spain vs Austria – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

Friday, July 3

12am – Portugal vs Croatia – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

4am – Switzerland vs Algeria – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

7pm – Australia vs Egypt – BBC iPlayer, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

11pm – Argentina vs Cape Verde – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

Saturday, July 4

2.30am – Colombia vs Ghana – ITVX, SBS on Demand, RTÉ Player

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, July 4

6pm – Canada vs TBD

10pm – Round of 16 game 2

Sunday, July 5

9pm – Round of 16 game 3

Monday, July 6

1am – Round of 16 game 4

8pm – Round of 16 game 5

Tuesday, July 7

1am – Round of 16 game 6

5pm – Round of 16 game 7

9pm – Round of 16 game 8

QUARTER-FINALS

Thursday, July 9

9pm – Quarter-final 1

Friday, July 10

8pm – Quarter-final 2

Saturday, July 11

10pm – Quarter-final 3

Sunday, July 12

2am – Quarter-final 4

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday, July 14

8pm – Semi-final 1

Wednesday, July 15

8pm – Semi-final 2

FINALS

Saturday, July 18

10pm – Third-place playoff

Sunday, July 19

8pm – 2026 FIFA World Cup final

What is the Netherlands' FIFA World Cup 2026 squad?

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen).

Defenders: Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Lutsharel Geertruida (Sunderland), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Mats Wieffer (Brighton), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea).

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Guus Til (PSV Eindhoven), Quinten Timber (Marseille).

Forwards: Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Donyell Malen (Aston Villa), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Wout Weghorst (Ajax), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United).

Does the Netherlands have a chance to win the 2026 World Cup?

At the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Netherlands were around eighth favorites to win the whole tournament. That was behind France, Spain, England, champions Argentina, Portugal, Brazil and Germany, and just ahead of Norway and co-hosts the USA.

The Netherlands have finished runners-up at the FIFA World Cup three times; twice in succession in 1974 and 1978 and most recently when they lost 1-0 to Spain in the final of the 2010 World Cup.

Can I watch Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on my mobile?

Of course, most World Cup broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser. As explained above, that includes NOS, NPO Start and Ziggo Go, all of which you can access via your mobile.

You can also stay up-to-date with all of the key World Cup moments on the official social media channels on X/Twitter (@FIFAWorldCup), Instagram (@FIFAWorldCup), TikTok (@FIFAWorldCup) and YouTube (@FIFA).

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Adam was formerly the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles TechRadar produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam has now dusted off his keyboard to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide.