From June 11 to July 19, the FIFA World Cup takes place in North America, with the tournament being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. For this 48-team World Cup, the M6 Group is deploying extensive coverage across M6, M6+, and RTL, with 54 major matches broadcast free-to-air, including the final, which will be shown for the first time on M6.
A massive World Cup for an edition with 48 teams
The competition begins at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and will conclude at MetLife Stadium. This World Cup marks a new stage with its expanded format of 48 teams, divided into twelve groups of four.
The groups announced are as follows:
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic.
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland.
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland.
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye.
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, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay.
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway.
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan.
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia.
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama.
France in search of a third star
World champions in 1998 and 2018, finalists in 2006 and 2022, the French team arrives with a clear objective: to win a third star.
Placed in Group I, the men of Didier Deschamps They will first face Senegal, then Iraq, before concluding their group stage against Norway.
The schedule for the French national team's matches on M6 is as follows:
Tuesday, June 16th at 21pm: France – Senegal.
Monday, June 22nd at 23 PM: France – Iraq.
Friday, June 26 at 21 p.m.: Norway – France.
54 matches broadcast free-to-air, the final on M6
M6 will broadcast 54 of the biggest matches of the competition. The channel will notably offer the opening match, several clashes from the group stage, the major matches of the French national team, and then the main knockout matches.
Almost all of the selected matches will be scheduled in prime time, between 18pm and 23pm, in order to reach the widest possible audience.
The plan also includes a strong presence during the knockout stages: M6 will broadcast the first nine picks of the round of 32, the first six picks of the round of 16, and the first three picks of the quarterfinals. The two semifinals, the third-place match, and the final are also included in the announced schedule.
The calendar of big nights
The knockout stage will begin on June 28, 2026 with the round of 32 at 9 p.m. The other round of 32 matches will be broadcast on June 29, June 30, July 1, July 2 and July 3.
The round of 16 matches will be played from July 4 to 7. The quarter-finals will follow on July 9, 10 and 11. The semi-finals will take place on July 14 and 15, both at 9 p.m.
The third-place match is scheduled for July 18 at 23 p.m. The final will be broadcast on July 19 at 21 p.m.
The scheduling of the knockout rounds remains dependent on the qualified teams and the final broadcasting decisions.
Domergue, Cheyrou, Umtiti and Sainsily for Les Bleus
The French national team's matches will be commentated by a new trio: Xavier Domergue, Benoît Cheyrou, and Samuel Umtiti. They will be joined by Virginie Sainsily, who will be pitchside.
Xavier Domergue, the established voice of football on M6, will commentate on the major matches. Benoît Cheyrou will bring his experience as a former international player and pundit. Samuel Umtiti, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, will offer his perspective as a former French national team defender. Virginie Sainsily will provide on-field reports.
Four teams to cover the entire competition
For the other matches, M6 relies on four duos or trios: Xavier Domergue, Benoît Cheyrou and Virginie Sainsily; Julien Brun and Samuel Umtiti; Hamza Rahmani and François Clerc; Jano Rességuie and Jean-Marc Ferreri.
Julien Brun, Hamza Rahmani, and Jano Rességuie will provide commentary. Samuel Umtiti, François Clerc, and Jean-Marc Ferreri will offer their expertise as former players. The lineup thus blends sports journalists, former international players, and pundits already familiar to viewers.
A daily magazine featuring Ophélie Meunier
Every match night, Ophélie Meunier will present a major magazine program from Paris. She will be joined by Smaïl Bouabdellah, Laure Lepailleur, SoAnne, Ludovic Giuly, and Johan Djourou. The show will cover the matches, the French team's performances, and the highlights of the competition. Personalities, coaches, and players will be regularly invited to continue the discussions.
M6+ wants to extend each match
On M6+, all 54 matches will be available live and free of charge. Users can watch the games on their phones, tablets, computers, or Smart TVs. The platform will also offer an enhanced experience with FanXP: quizzes, predictions, polls, and real-time statistics during the matches. Highlights, key moments, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive content will also be available.
M6+ will also showcase FIFA archives, featuring landmark matches from World Cup history, including the 1998 final, Germany's 2014 victory, and France's run in 2018. A partnership with So Foot will allow for the offering of documentaries and premium content about football.
Michou, digital special correspondent
M6 will also deploy a specific strategy on social media. Michou will be M6's digital correspondent for the French national team's matches. He will bring the event live from the pitch, behind the goals, with privileged access.
The best moments, summaries, interviews and analyses will be broadcast on the accounts of M6, M6+, RTL and M6 Info, notably on TikTok, YouTube, X and Snapchat.
