Mayank Jain

Watch a Premier League match in 2026/27 and one thing looks different: the sponsors. For years, betting companies dominated the front of Premier League shirts. In 2025/26, 11 of the league’s 20 clubs carried a gambling brand in that prime position. From 2026/27, that changed. Premier League clubs had agreed to remove gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts after the 2025/26 season. But gambling brands did not simply disappear. Fintech firms, financial-services businesses, technology companies, AI brands and tourism organisations are moving into football. So why would a company that most fans have never heard of spend millions to put its name on a Premier League shirt? Why Do Unknown Companies Sponsor Premier League Shirts? Premier League shirt sponsorship gives companies global visibility, credibility and repeated exposure. For many fintech, AI and B2B brands, the goal is not necessarily to sell something to the person watching the match. It is to become recognised by customers, investors, business partners and international markets. That makes a Premier League shirt less like a traditional advertisement and more like a global corporate billboard. How Did Premier League Shirt Sponsorship Change? Premier League shirts once carried familiar consumer brands selling products supporters could easily understand. As the Premier League became a global media product, the economics changed. Clubs were no longer selling exposure only to supporters inside England. Their shirts appeared on television, social feeds, news sites, video games and merchandise around the world. The sponsor simply had to value the Premier League’s global reach. In fact, the transformation has been dramatic. BBC research found that in the Premier League’s first season, more than half of shirt sponsors were headquartered in Britain and most sold physical products in the UK. By 2025, only one front-of-shirt sponsor was headquartered in the UK, while none primarily used the sponsorship to sell physical products directly to supporters. Football shirts had become something different. Why Did Betting Brands Become So Common? Online betting companies were particularly well suited to football sponsorship. Football and sports betting have overlapping audiences, while Premier League broadcasts gave gambling brands repeated exposure in numerous international markets. For clubs outside the league’s richest group, betting companies were often willing to pay strongly for the most visible position on the shirt. By 2025/26, gambling brands appeared on the front of 11 of 20 Premier League shirts. In April 2023, Premier League clubs voluntarily agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts from the end of the 2025/26 season. That created a new question for clubs: Who would replace them? Is Gambling Sponsorship Completely Banned in the Premier League? No. The agreement removes gambling brands from the front of Premier League matchday shirts. It does not create a total ban on every gambling-related commercial partnership. Gambling companies can still appear in other permitted sponsorship inventory, including certain sleeve, training-kit and other arrangements, subject to applicable rules. So 2026/27 is not the end of gambling advertising in Premier League football. It is the end of gambling brands occupying its most prominent shirt position. Who Is Replacing Betting Sponsors? The replacement market already shows how football sponsorship is changing. Reuters reported that the transition is opening opportunities to fintech, software, finance and other global businesses. Crystal Palace partnered with AI company Temporal, Everton with financial-services company CMC Markets, while Aston Villa’s shirt features Visit Rwanda. Financial Times reporting points to the same shift toward technology and finance companies. Many of these new sponsors are not household consumer names. In some cases, that is exactly why Premier League sponsorship is valuable. Why Would an Unknown Company Sponsor a Premier League Club? Imagine a technology company respected inside its industry but invisible to most consumers. Put that company on a Premier League shirt and its name appears during live matches, highlights, social posts, press photographs, interviews and replica-shirt sales. The brand is repeatedly placed next to famous players and a globally recognised football club. That builds awareness and can also create credibility. People may assume a business capable of becoming a Premier League partner is substantial, ambitious and internationally established. The company is not necessarily buying immediate sales. It is buying familiarity. That is particularly valuable for an AI, fintech or B2B company trying to move from being known within one industry to becoming an internationally recognised brand. Who Are Shirt Sponsors Actually Trying to Reach? Football fans are only part of the audience. A Premier League sponsor may want consumers, but it may also care about investors, corporate customers, potential employees, governments or business partners. That helps explain why B2B technology and financial companies spend money on football. Senior executives, investors and potential clients all encounter the sport. Sponsorship agreements can also include hospitality, networking, digital campaigns and rights to use club branding. The logo is simply the most visible part of a much larger commercial relationship. Why Not Just Buy Digital Ads? Because football sponsorship behaves differently. A digital advertisement might be viewed once and forgotten. A shirt sponsor can receive repeated exposure throughout an entire season. The logo appears when a goal is scored, in the photograph the next morning, in a transfer announcement, on social media and on replica shirts. Football also connects sponsors with victories, rivalries and famous players. There is another unusual advantage: supporters often pay to wear the shirt themselves. Few advertising formats persuade consumers to buy something that keeps displaying the advertiser’s logo for years. That helps explain why the front of a Premier League shirt remains such valuable advertising space even in an era dominated by Google, TikTok, Instagram and digital advertising. Why Are Some Premier League Shirts Sponsorless? Clubs do not always accept the first sponsorship offer available. If a club believes its front-of-shirt rights are worth much more than a company is offering, starting the season with a blank shirt can make commercial sense while negotiations continue. Chelsea and Sunderland were among the clubs reported without permanent front-of-shirt sponsors as the 2026/27 season began.

For many Indian sports fans, the Glasgow 2026 programme looks incomplete. There is no cricket. No hockey. No badminton or wrestling. Table tennis and squash are missing too. These are not minor omissions from an Indian perspective. They include some of the country’s most popular sports and, more importantly, some of its most dependable sources of Commonwealth Games medals. At Birmingham 2022, India won 61 medals. Exactly 30 of them came from sports that are not being contested in Glasgow. So, why were so many major sports left out? The answer is not that the Commonwealth Games suddenly consider cricket, badminton or hockey unimportant. Glasgow inherited an event that had lost its original host and had very little time to prepare. The organisers responded by creating a smaller Games that could be delivered through existing venues, fewer athletes and a tightly controlled budget. In practical terms, Glasgow 2026 is not a normal edition of the Commonwealth Games. It is a rescue operation as much as a sporting event. Cricket, hockey, badminton and wrestling are missing from Commonwealth Games 2026 because Glasgow adopted a reduced ten-sport programme built around four existing venue sites. Cost, venue availability, athlete numbers and the short preparation period shaped the final selection. Which sports are included in Commonwealth Games 2026? Glasgow 2026 will feature ten sports and six integrated Para sports. Around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories are expected to compete for 215 gold medals. The Games run from July 23 to August 2, 2026, with sporting competition beginning on July 24. The official Glasgow 2026 programme includes: Sport Para programme Athletics Para athletics Swimming Para swimming Track cycling Para track cycling Bowls Para bowls Weightlifting Para powerlifting 3×3 basketball 3×3 wheelchair basketball Boxing Not included Judo Not included Netball Not included Artistic gymnastics Not included Athletics and swimming are compulsory Commonwealth Games sports. The host has more flexibility when choosing the rest of the programme. That flexibility has become central to the future of the event. Instead of asking every host to stage a huge list of sports, Commonwealth Sport now allows cities to develop a programme that works with their venues, finances and local audience. In Glasgow’s case, that meant keeping the programme unusually small. Which major sports are missing from Glasgow 2026? The list of missing sports is substantial. Sport missing from Glasgow 2026 Why its absence matters Wrestling India won 12 medals at Birmingham 2022 Badminton India won six medals, including three golds Table tennis and Para table tennis India won seven medals Hockey India’s men and women both reached the podium Cricket India won silver in the women’s T20 competition Squash India won two bronze medals Rugby sevens A long-standing Commonwealth team sport Triathlon Offered individual and mixed-team medal events Diving A major medal sport for Australia, England and Canada Beach volleyball Featured at Birmingham 2022 Some cycling events have also disappeared. Track cycling remains, but road cycling and mountain biking are not part of the Glasgow programme. Shooting is absent too, although it should be treated separately. It was already missing from Birmingham 2022, which means Glasgow did not remove it from the previous edition. That distinction matters when calculating India’s lost medal opportunities. Shooting is historically India’s most successful Commonwealth Games sport, but it did not contribute to the country’s 61 medals in Birmingham. Why were so many sports removed from Commonwealth Games 2026? There was no single dramatic decision to remove cricket, hockey or badminton. The programme became smaller because Glasgow had to solve several problems at once. Victoria withdrew as the original host The 2026 Games were originally awarded to the Australian state of Victoria. Unlike a traditional single-city Games, Victoria planned to spread events across several regional centres. The state government later withdrew, citing the increasing cost of delivering the event. That decision left the Commonwealth Games without a host and created serious doubts about whether the 2026 edition would take place at all. Glasgow eventually stepped in, but it did not have the normal preparation period available to a host city. Major international events are usually planned many years in advance. Glasgow had to create a workable Games in a fraction of that time. Reusing infrastructure from the 2014 Commonwealth Games made that possible, but only if the scale of the event was reduced. Glasgow chose existing venues over new construction The 2026 Games are concentrated around four main venue sites: Scotstoun Stadium Tollcross International Swimming Centre Glasgow International Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome The Scottish Event Campus Using existing venues saves money and reduces the risk of construction delays. It also limits what the host can include. A cricket competition, for example, needs a suitable stadium and practice grounds. Hockey requires a competition pitch and training facilities. Adding another venue does not simply involve renting the ground for a few days. It also creates additional costs for: Security Transport Broadcasting Medical facilities Technology Branding Volunteers Event staff Athlete training areas This is why popularity alone could not guarantee a sport’s inclusion. Cricket may bring a large television audience, but that does not make it easy or inexpensive to fit into a four-site Games. Athlete numbers had to remain manageable The Glasgow programme has also been designed around approximately 3,000 athletes. Team sports can increase that number quickly. A men’s and women’s hockey competition requires several full squads, along with coaches, medical teams and other officials. Individual sports can create similar pressure. Wrestling includes numerous weight categories. Badminton can include singles, doubles, mixed doubles and a team competition. Table tennis offers several individual and team medal events. Each addition affects accommodation, catering, transport, training schedules and staffing. Glasgow therefore had to judge sports as pieces of a complete event rather than as individual attractions. Did organisers explain why each sport was excluded? No separate public explanation has been given for every missing sport. There is no official statement saying badminton was dropped for one exact reason, wrestling for another and squash

India finished the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 with an impressive 61 medals and fourth place in the overall medal standings. However, expecting the country to repeat that number at Commonwealth Games 2026 would create an unfair comparison. The reason is not necessarily a decline in the performance of Indian athletes. Glasgow 2026 has a much smaller sports programme. Several disciplines that delivered a large share of India’s medals in Birmingham—including wrestling, badminton, table tennis, hockey, squash and cricket—are not part of the 2026 Games. Together, those sports accounted for exactly 30 of India’s 61 medals at CWG 2022. This creates what can be called India’s “30-medal problem.” Even if Indian athletes perform well in Glasgow, the country could finish with approximately half as many medals simply because many of its strongest events are unavailable. Quick answer: A total of around 30 medals would be a realistic and respectable result for India at Commonwealth Games 2026. Athletics, weightlifting and boxing are likely to carry much of India’s medal responsibility, while judo, lawn bowls and Para sports could provide important additions. India’s Commonwealth Games 2026 medal outlook Key measurement Figure or outlook India’s medal total at CWG 2022 61 Gold medals won in 2022 22 Medals from sports absent in 2026 30 India’s Glasgow 2026 contingent 124 competitors Realistic editorial target Around 30 medals Main medal-producing sports Athletics, weightlifting and boxing Supporting opportunities Judo, lawn bowls and Para sports Glasgow 2026 dates July 23–August 2, 2026 Glasgow 2026 features a compact ten-sport programme, including six fully integrated Para sports, staged across four main venues. Readers can review the complete list of sports, dates and venues through the official Commonwealth Games 2026 programme. Why India’s 61-medal result cannot be the 2026 benchmark India won 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals at Birmingham 2022. The country finished behind Australia, England and Canada in the final standings. The complete list of Indian medal winners can be viewed in the official Birmingham 2022 India medal tally. However, the Glasgow programme is very different from Birmingham. Six sports that contributed heavily to India’s medal total are missing in 2026: Sport absent from Glasgow 2026 India’s medals at CWG 2022 Wrestling 12 Table tennis, including Para table tennis 7 Badminton 6 Hockey 2 Squash 2 Cricket 1 Total 30 These were not minor sports for India. Every Indian wrestler who competed in Birmingham returned with a medal, producing a total of 12. Badminton delivered six medals, including three golds, while table tennis and Para table tennis contributed seven. India also reached the podium in men’s hockey, women’s hockey, women’s cricket and two squash events. Removing these disciplines does more than reduce the size of the Indian team. It eliminates dozens of possible medal routes across individual, doubles and team competitions. Those lost opportunities cannot automatically be replaced by stronger performances in athletics, boxing or weightlifting.   How different is Commonwealth Games 2026? Glasgow 2026 was designed as a smaller and more concentrated edition of the Commonwealth Games. The ten-sport programme includes: 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball Artistic gymnastics Athletics and Para athletics Bowls and Para bowls Boxing Track cycling and Para track cycling Judo Netball Swimming and Para swimming Weightlifting and Para powerlifting The Games are being staged at four main venue groups located within an eight-mile corridor in Glasgow. This approach reduces the need for new construction and creates a more compact schedule for athletes, broadcasters and spectators. Glasgow 2026 also includes a record 47 Para medal events across six sports, making it the largest integrated Para sports programme in Commonwealth Games history. India is travelling with a smaller contingent India’s official team contains 124 competitors, including able-bodied and Para athletes. The team will compete in athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, gymnastics, cycling, lawn bowls and swimming, alongside Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para swimming, Para track cycling and wheelchair basketball. The official contingent information is available through the Indian Olympic Association’s Glasgow 2026 announcement. A smaller team does not automatically mean that India is sending weaker athletes. It does mean that India has fewer entries, fewer events and fewer possible paths to the podium. That is why the total medal count must be evaluated in the context of the available opportunities. Which sports could deliver the most medals for India? India’s performance in Glasgow is likely to depend heavily on three sports: Athletics Weightlifting Boxing These sports produced 25 Indian medals at Birmingham 2022. With several traditional medal-winning disciplines removed, their importance has increased considerably. Athletics offers the widest range of opportunities Athletics gives India medal opportunities across javelin, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, race walking, distance running and relay events. India has developed considerably greater depth in track and field over the past decade. The country is no longer dependent on a single athlete or event to produce results. However, Commonwealth athletics remains highly competitive. Indian athletes will face strong opposition from countries including Australia, England, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, South Africa, Grenada and Pakistan. Strong qualification performances will not always guarantee medals. India will need its leading athletes to produce their best results during the finals. India’s outlook: Athletics should be one of the country’s largest medal sources, but it is also one of the hardest sports to predict accurately. Weightlifting remains India’s most dependable retained sport Weightlifting delivered ten medals for India at Birmingham 2022, making it the country’s most productive sport among those retained for Glasgow. India has traditionally performed well in Commonwealth weightlifting because several Indian lifters enter with totals capable of challenging for medals. The format also gives the country opportunities across multiple weight categories for both men and women. Nevertheless, repeating the ten medals won in Birmingham should not be considered automatic. Athlete form, weight-category changes, injuries and the final quality of the competition will influence the outcome. India’s outlook: Weightlifting could once again provide one of India’s highest medal-conversion rates. Boxing has strong potential but greater uncertainty Indian boxing has produced medals across

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is not only the largest edition of the tournament ever staged. It is also backed by a record financial distribution package. FIFA has increased the total amount allocated to the 48 participating national associations to $871 million. Its previously published prize structure lists a $50 million performance payment for the champion, while every qualified association is now assured at least $12.5 million in qualification and preparation funding. Those figures are far higher than the official tournament payments offered by major cricket competitions and the IPL. However, the comparisons require context because FIFA pays national associations, the ICC distributes tournament prize money to cricket teams, the IPL rewards franchises, and the NFL pays postseason bonuses to individual players. FIFA World Cup 2026 prize money: The quick answer Here are the most important figures: FIFA World Cup 2026 financial measure Amount Total distribution to participating associations $871 million Previously announced performance prize pool $655 million Published champion’s performance payment $50 million Runner-up payment $33 million Qualification funding per association $10 million Preparation funding per association $2.5 million Minimum qualification and preparation funding $12.5 million At the June 12, 2026 exchange rate of approximately ₹95.11 per US dollar, the $50 million champion payment is worth approximately ₹475.6 crore. The exact Indian rupee value will change as the exchange rate moves. How FIFA’s $871 million World Cup distribution works Understanding the figure requires separating two FIFA announcements. The original December 2025 prize structure In December 2025, FIFA announced a total financial contribution of $727 million for the tournament. Of that amount, $655 million was allocated as placement-based prize money among the 48 participating teams. The published distribution was: Final position Published payment Champion $50 million Runner-up $33 million Third place $29 million Fourth place $27 million Fifth to eighth $19 million each Ninth to sixteenth $15 million each Seventeenth to thirty-second $11 million each Thirty-third to forty-eighth $9 million each Each qualified team was also scheduled to receive $1.5 million for preparation costs. The April 2026 increase In April 2026, FIFA increased the wider distribution package by 15%, taking the total to $871 million. The updated announcement raised: Preparation funding from $1.5 million to $2.5 million Qualification funding from $9 million to $10 million Additional support for delegation costs and ticket allocations to more than $16 million This means every participating association has at least $12.5 million in confirmed qualification and preparation funding. FIFA did not publish a completely replacement stage-by-stage table in the April announcement. Therefore, it would be misleading to automatically add the $12.5 million baseline to the $50 million champion payment and claim a new total without further clarification from FIFA. The safest wording is: FIFA’s published champion performance payment is $50 million, while the wider distribution package has increased to $871 million and baseline qualification and preparation funding has risen to $12.5 million per association. FIFA World Cup 2026 prize money in Indian rupees Using the June 12, 2026 closing exchange rate of approximately ₹95.11 per US dollar: $50 million equals approximately ₹475.6 crore $33 million equals approximately ₹313.9 crore $12.5 million equals approximately ₹118.9 crore $10 million equals approximately ₹95.1 crore These conversions are provided for comparison only. Exchange rates can change significantly, so publishers should include the conversion date whenever they quote the rupee value. FIFA World Cup 2026 vs the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India won the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after defeating New Zealand in the final. The International Cricket Council confirmed that India received a final tournament distribution of $2,639,423, or approximately $2.64 million, from the tournament’s total $11.25 million players’ prize pool. That $2.64 million was not simply a single fixed winner’s cheque. It included India’s tournament participation, match results, progression and final placement payments. FIFA vs T20 World Cup comparison Tournament payment Amount FIFA World Cup 2026 champion performance payment $50 million FIFA minimum qualification and preparation funding $12.5 million India’s final ICC T20 World Cup 2026 distribution $2.64 million The FIFA champion’s $50 million payment is approximately 18.9 times India’s final ICC distribution. Even FIFA’s $12.5 million baseline funding is approximately 4.7 times India’s $2.64 million ICC amount. However, that is not the full financial picture for Indian cricket. After India won the T20 World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced a separate ₹131 crore reward for the players, coaches, support staff and selectors. That BCCI reward was additional to the ICC distribution. It should be presented separately because it came from India’s national cricket board rather than the tournament organizer. FIFA World Cup vs the ODI Cricket World Cup The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 had a total prize pool of $10 million. Australia, the winner, received $4 million, while the runner-up received $2 million. Teams also earned separate payments for group-stage victories. Comparing the headline winner payments: Competition Winner payment FIFA World Cup 2026 $50 million ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 $4 million The FIFA World Cup champion payment is 12.5 times the amount awarded to the 2023 ODI World Cup winner. FIFA’s $12.5 million minimum qualification and preparation funding is also more than three times the ODI World Cup champion’s $4 million payment. The comparison illustrates the scale of FIFA’s centralized tournament distribution. It does not mean cricket lacks commercial power. Cricket’s wider economy also includes national-board revenues, bilateral series, broadcasting agreements, sponsorships and domestic franchise leagues. FIFA World Cup 2026 vs IPL prize money Royal Challengers Bengaluru received ₹20 crore after winning the IPL 2026 title. At the June 12, 2026 exchange rate, ₹20 crore was worth approximately $2.1 million. The FIFA champion’s $50 million performance payment, worth about ₹475.6 crore at that exchange rate, is approximately 23.8 times the IPL winner’s ₹20 crore prize. Competition Winner payment FIFA World Cup 2026 Approximately ₹475.6 crore IPL 2026 ₹20 crore It would therefore be reasonable to say: The FIFA World Cup champion payment is worth almost 24 IPL championship prizes. But the comparison should

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin for Indian viewers on June 12, 2026, and conclude with the final at 12:30 AM IST on July 20. Most matches will be played during late-evening, midnight or early-morning hours in India because the tournament is being hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The expanded competition will feature 48 teams, 12 groups and 104 matches. Here is the stage-wise schedule, expected kickoff windows and viewing information Indian football fans need before the tournament begins. FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule in Indian time Although the tournament officially runs from June 11 to July 19 in North America, several matches fall on the following calendar day in India. Tournament stage Dates in India Group stage June 12–28, 2026 Round of 32 June 29–July 4, 2026 Round of 16 July 4–8, 2026 Quarterfinals July 10–12, 2026 Semifinals July 15–16, 2026 Third-place match July 19, 2026 FIFA World Cup final July 20, 2026 The Round of 32 and Round of 16 both have matches on July 4 in India. This happens because fixtures played on different North American dates can fall on the same Indian calendar date after conversion to IST. What time will FIFA World Cup 2026 matches start in India? World Cup matches will be hosted across multiple North American time zones. Indian viewers will therefore see several different kickoff times rather than one fixed daily slot. The most common match windows include: Late evening: Around 9:30 PM or 10:30 PM IST Shortly after midnight: Between 12:30 AM and 2:30 AM IST Early morning: Between 3:30 AM and 6:30 AM IST Morning: Between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM IST The exact time depends on the host city and local kickoff. Matches played in eastern cities such as New York, Miami and Toronto generally appear earlier in the Indian morning than late-night fixtures hosted on the western side of North America. When is the opening match in Indian time? The opening match will be played between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium. It begins at 12:30 AM IST on Friday, June 12, 2026. In Mexico, the fixture takes place on June 11, but the date changes after converting the kickoff to Indian Standard Time. This is why Indian viewers should follow an IST-based schedule instead of relying only on the date displayed by international broadcasters or North American websites. When are the knockout matches in India? The newly introduced Round of 32 starts on June 29 in India and continues until July 4. Sixteen teams will progress to the Round of 16, which runs until July 8. The four quarterfinals will be shown in India between July 10 and July 12. The two semifinals are scheduled for: Match Date and time in India Semifinal 1 July 15 at 12:30 AM IST Semifinal 2 July 16 at 12:30 AM IST The third-place playoff will begin at 2:30 AM IST on July 19. What time is the FIFA World Cup 2026 final in India? The FIFA World Cup 2026 final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium. For Indian viewers, the final begins at 12:30 AM IST on Monday, July 20, 2026. The official host-country date is July 19, but the match starts after midnight in India. Fans planning a Sunday-night watch party should therefore remember that the kickoff technically falls early on Monday morning. Where can Indians watch the FIFA World Cup 2026? FIFA has confirmed that World Cup matches and related programming will be distributed in India through UNITE8 Sports television channels. Digital streaming will be available on Zee5. The coverage is also expected to be available in multiple languages, making the competition accessible to viewers across different regions of India. Fans should check the final channel numbers, Zee5 access conditions and pre-match programming closer to the tournament. Why are most World Cup matches late at night in India? India is several hours ahead of all the North American host cities. An afternoon match in the United States, Canada or Mexico can therefore begin shortly after midnight in India. An evening fixture in North America may appear early the following morning for Indian viewers. For example, a 3:00 PM match in New York converts to 12:30 AM IST on the next calendar day. A later evening match can begin between 5:30 AM and 8:30 AM in India. How can Indian fans plan their viewing schedule? Supporters should first identify the fixtures involving their favourite teams and save the Indian dates rather than the host-country dates. Late-evening games will be the easiest to watch, while midnight and early-morning matches may require alarms or advance planning. For knockout games, viewers should also allow additional time for extra time and penalties. Frequently asked questions When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 begin in India? The opening match begins at 12:30 AM IST on June 12, 2026. How many matches will be played? The expanded World Cup will contain 104 matches, including 72 group-stage fixtures and 32 knockout matches. What are the main World Cup match timings in India? Matches will commonly begin between approximately 9:30 PM and 9:30 AM IST, depending on the host city. Where will the World Cup be streamed in India? The tournament will be streamed digitally on Zee5 and shown on UNITE8 Sports television channels. When is the final in India? The final begins at 12:30 AM IST on July 20, 2026.