RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
Stream all 104 games live on RT Player
Listen to Inside Sport FIFA World Cup Special which will air tonight at 6pm on RT Radio 1
RT today unveiled its extensive, free-to-air FIFA World Cup coverage, confirming that Irish audiences will be able to enjoy every moment of the action from host nations USA, Canada and Mexico. The 2026 FIFA World Cup brings the biggest tournament in the competition's history as it expands to an unprecedented 104 games, 48 competing nations and for the first time, three host nations. As official Irish broadcaster, RT will be there every kick of the way!
Inside Sport on RT Radio 1 today launches RT 's FIFA World Cup offering, showcasing its most extensive coverage yet across TV, radio and digital platforms. With Ray Houghton, ine O'Gorman, Darragh Maloney, Alan Cawley, and Paul Corry joining the discussion, the programme which will air tonight on RT Radio 1 at 6pm offers an early look at the tournament through different lenses from tactics and teams to watch, to best kits!
RT will deliver multi-channel, free to air coverage with full games, highlights and top-tier commentary available on RT 2, RT Player, RT News, RT Online, RT Radio 1 and on social channels across a packed summer of sport. Viewers can expect a distinctly Irish lens on the world's biggest sporting stage, with familiar faces, trusted voices and expert analysis from start to finish.
Group Head of RTE Sport, Declan McBennett, said: This World Cup is unlike anything we've seen before, not just in its size but in the way fans will experience it. With matches taking place across three host nations and a record number of teams involved, supporters will be following stories unfolding in multiple time zones and at an incredible pace. That's why our multi channel approach is so important. Whether it's live on RT 2, streaming on RT Player, catching up on RT News or following the conversation across our digital platforms, we're making sure audiences can stay connected to the tournament in whatever way suits them.
RT 's television coverage will be led by a team of six presenters with Joanne Cantwell, Peter Collins, Marie Crowe, Jacqui Hurley, Clare MacNamara, Tony O'Donoghue all taking their turns in the presenter's chair. They will be joined by a host of expert pundits and commentators including Shay Given, Ronnie Whelan, Ray Houghton, James McClean, Dietmar Hamann, ine O'Gorman, Kenny Cunningham, Stephen Kelly, Keith Treacy, Richie Sadlier, Alan Cawley, Kevin Doyle, Niamh Fahey, Des Curran, Darragh Maloney, Adrian Eames, John Kenny and Cathal Mullaney.
RT Player will bring fans every moment of the FIFA World Cup, streaming all 104 games live and bringing Irish audiences closer to the action than ever before. With matches taking place across multiple time zones, RT Player will give viewers the opportunity to watch the tournament with complete flexibility offering highlights, match clips and a dedicated FIFA World Cup Collection page that keeps supporters up to date round the clock. A FIFA World Cup pop up channel will be available throughout the competition, offering a continuous stream of content to keep fans immersed in the action, whenever they choose to watch. RT Cork will bring their distinctive take on the tournament to football fans which will be available on this channel.
On RT Radio 1, Marie Crowe and Jacqui Hurley will continue to bring you all the action from North America on Inside Sport with daily updates throughout the programme. Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport will also carry analysis and news from the tournament.
RT Sport online will have a live blog and report of every game, with goals and major incidents also shared on social channels. Not able to stay up to watch the overnight action? Not a problem! With highlights of every game on the RT website and RT Sport YouTube page, you won't miss a thing. Raf Diallo will host additional episodes of the RT Soccer Podcast, where he will be joined by RT commentators and co-commentators in North America, as well as expert TV pundits.
RT KIDS has once again partnered with the FAI for Total Football season two, which will air as part of RT 's FIFA World Cup coverage. Kicking off on Tuesday 9 June at 5.30pm on RT 2 and dropping the full series on RT Player on the same day, Total Football offers young viewers an engaging look at every corner of the sport, featuring insights from top players, including Irish Cape Verde World Cup hopeful Roberto Pico Lopes, Troy Parrott and Denise O'Sullivan, as well as coaches and leading content creators. Returning as host is award winning broadcaster Aisling O'Reilly, joined this year by Irish YouTube star DavidMC, who makes his television presenting debut. Together with a team of young reporters, they'll set challenges for celebrity guests and influencers and bring audiences closer to the action, the players and the stories that make football so compelling.
Heineken 0.0 is the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 on RT .
More from RTE
17/07/2026
New and returning series, live festival broadcasts, powerful documentaries and major sporting moments headline RT Radio 1's summer schedule
RT Radio 1 is...
17/07/2026
Up For The Match - Live From Croke Park this Saturday at 8pm on RT One and RT ...
17/07/2026
RT Commercial has today announced DiscoverIreland.ie, as sponsor of The Traitor...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
13/07/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Mag Raollaigh as the new Managing Editor of Nuacht, the Irish Language News and Current Affairs service a...
10/07/2026
New RT documentary explores Irish-led efforts to build bridges in divided Cyprus
More than a Game: From D1 to Pyla airs Monday 13 July
More Than a Game: Fro...
08/07/2026
Film follows the courageous fight for justice by survivors of Ireland's Magdalene Laundries & Mother and Baby Homes
TESTIMONY airs Wednesday 22 July at 9...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
26/06/2026
A fresh look at how the Irish helped shape the foundations of the United States
...
25/06/2026
Launching today (Thursday 25 June), new RT podcast Ramble with Joe McGucken is a series of curiosity-driven conversations where actor, writer and comedian Joe ...
24/06/2026
From Cork to Limerick to Earagail:
RT is supporting 21 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this July
RT Supporting the Arts is delighted to spotlight...
23/06/2026
The RT Toy Show Appeal has raised over 31 million since its inception in 2020 ...
17/06/2026
The RT Concert Orchestra will bring the timeless music of The Beach Boys to aud...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
11/06/2026
Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...
09/06/2026
These special programmes will highlight RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora
This year, RT is marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland with...
08/06/2026
Irish YouTube star DavidMC joins Aisling O'Reilly to tackle all things socce...
05/06/2026
RT Radio 1 Folk Awards to take place on Tuesday 10th November 2026, Vicar Street, Dublin
Moya Brennan, D nal Lunny, Mary Black and Christy Moore among previou...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
03/06/2026
RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
S...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
RT presents Wild Conamara, a two-part natural history documentary that brings a...
25/05/2026
The RT Concert Orchestra will celebrate the centenary of Hollywood icon Marilyn...
22/05/2026
Catch the latest in Irish music live from venues such as Whelan's, R is n Du...
21/05/2026
Dublin DJ RKM333 wins 2FM competition and a coveted slot at this year's Forbidden Fruit Festival
2FM's search for the next big Irish DJ concluded this ...
20/05/2026
Mayo's Dee Freney and Margaret Leahy from Galway have reached the final of RT Today's TV Home Cook competition.
Both contestants will cook again live...
20/05/2026
RT IN FULL BLOOM AT BORD BIA BLOOM 2026 WITH LIVE BROADCASTS, MUSIC, CHAT AND M...
15/05/2026
Further to RT 's statement released yesterday and in the interest of full transparency, with the full permission of Derek Mooney, we are now publishing the ...
14/05/2026
RT is today publishing the earnings of its top 10 highest-earning presenters for 2025, ahead of the publication of RT 's Annual Report 2025 later this year...
14/05/2026
Back From The Brink airs Sunday 17 May and Sunday 24 May at 6.30pm on RT One an...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
07/05/2026
Well known Irish faces pushed to the edge in new series of
Uncharted with Ray G...
07/05/2026
RT will premiere A Traveller Family, a compelling new documentary exploring the...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
01/05/2026
RT Sport awarded first pick free-to-air on Wednesday nights
Champions League and Super Cup finals
Highlights on Wednesday nights
RT today (Thursday 30 Apri...
RT confirms multi-channel and free to air coverage of the expanded tournament with enhanced digital features and the return of Total Football for young fans
