From the cobblestone lanes of Paris to the quiet suburbs of Lyon, French football fans have a golden ticket to the 2026 World Cup. The free‑to‑air network M6, along with its online platform M6+, will broadcast 54 of the tournament’s 104 matches at no cost, giving millions of viewers a front‑row seat without a subscription fee.

M6 will air 47 games live on its channel between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. CET, with the same schedule mirrored on M6+. The remaining seven free matches are slated for other time slots but will also be streamed on M6+. The package includes every group‑stage fixture, the round‑of‑16, quarter‑finals, semi‑finals and the final. All other 50 matches will require a paid subscription to see them live on television or online.

M6+ is the re‑branded successor to the 6play platform, relaunched on 14 May 2024. The service offers live viewing of the free‑to‑air M6 Group channels—M6, W9, 6ter and Gulli—alongside catch‑up content from the group’s portfolio. To access the World Cup streams, viewers simply create a free M6+ account. Registration asks for a name, date of birth and a French postal code, such as 93200.

For fans traveling outside France, the M6+ feed can be reached through a virtual private network (VPN). The article recommends Norton VPN, noting its ability to connect users to French servers and let them watch domestic broadcasts as if they were inside the country. This recommendation is based on Norton’s proven capacity to bypass geographic restrictions and its compatibility with the M6+ service.

Beyond France, the World Cup will be free in several other markets. In the United Kingdom, BBC and ITV will air matches; Australia will see games on SBS On Demand; Brazil will stream them on CazéTV’s YouTube channel; Belgium on RTBF and VRT; Ireland on RTE Player; the Netherlands on NOS; Switzerland on SRF Play, RTS Play and RSI Play; and Turkey on TRT. Viewers abroad can also use a VPN to access local broadcasts in their own country.

The article lists the full knockout‑stage schedule in CET. For example, the round‑of‑16 match between Canada and Morocco on Saturday 4 July at 7 p.m. will be free on M6+, as will the France–Paraguay match at 11 p.m. The quarter‑finals and semi‑finals are likewise scheduled to stream free on M6+.

France’s squad for the tournament is also outlined. Goalkeepers include Brice Samba, Mike Maignan and Robin Risser. Defenders feature Malo Gusto, Lucas Digne, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, William Saliba, Théo Hernandez, Lucas Hernandez and Maxence Lacroix. Midfielders are Manu Koné, Aurélien Tchouaméni, N’Golo Kanté, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaïre‑Emery, Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche. The forward line consists of Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué and Jean‑Philippe Mateta.

France is currently ranked first in the FIFA World Rankings and has reached the final in the last two tournaments, winning in 2018 and losing in 2022 on penalties. Analysts regard the French side as the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, ahead of Argentina, Spain, Brazil and England.

In short, French fans will enjoy free access to 54 of the 104 World Cup 2026 matches via M6+ and the M6 channel. Those traveling abroad can use a VPN such as Norton to maintain access. The full schedule, squad list and other free‑to‑air coverage details are available through the M6 Group’s announcements and the official World Cup schedule.