FIFA World Cup 2026™ Screening Events: Information for Churches
The FIFA World CupTM begins on 11th June, with both England and Scotland taking part. For the first time the World Cup will feature 48 teams, meaning the final will be the eighth game for the eventual winners.
With the tournament being hosted across The USA and Canada, there will be 13 different kick-off times, with England playing Croatia at 10pm (BST) on 17th June, then Ghana at 9pm on 23rd June, and Panama at 10pm on 27th June. Scottish fans will require greater dedication, with their opening game against Haiti beginning at 2am (BST) on 14th June, followed by two 11pm kick offs against Morocco on 19th June, and five-times winners Brazil on 24th June.
Thankfully many of the knock out stage games will be played earlier in the evening, with both the semi-finals and final scheduled for 8pm BST.
With so much coverage of the tournament, England being one of the favourites, and Scotland appearing for the first time since 1998, this is a fantastic opportunity for churches to host community screening events. However, before you do so, there are a few things you need to know.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ Public Viewing Licence
As the event owner, FIFA retains all licensing and commercial rights, encompassing intellectual property and broadcasting. This means that churches, like any other public venue, must adhere to FIFA’s terms and conditions for hosting an event.
The good news is that FIFA do not require a licence for non-commercial events with less than 5,000 attendees. However, for your event to be classed as non-commercial, you cannot charge an admission fee and, importantly, you cannot publicise the event to the public. This would include specific details being published on a website, social media, or noticeboards. Internal communication, private invites, and word-of-mouth that isn’t organised should all be fine.
Commercial Events will require a Public Viewing licence from FIFA, with prices starting at USD 1000 (approx. £750).
Regardless of the nature of your event, CCLI recommends that you complete the form on the FIFA Public Viewing Platform to confirm the specific details for your event(s) and receive a confirmation email from FIFA. Whether you do this or not, ensure you carefully adhere to FIFA’s Public Viewing Regulations.
Other Licence Requirements
In addition to the specific requirements for Public Viewing events set out by FIFA, to screen any live sporting fixture in a public setting, the venue also needs:
- A TV Licence
- A PRS for Music licence
- A PPL Church Licence (which is congregational rather than venue specific)
- If the event is not on terrestrial TV, the appropriate licence or subscription from the Pay-TV service used
Many churches already have the PRS for Music and PPL Church Licences from CCLI, but if you don't, please contact CCLI for more information. If you're using a third party venue*, always check which licences they already hold before obtaining additional cover.
*A FIFA licence will be required for events held in cinemas.