Telemundo Celebrates One Year to FIFA World Cup 26™ With Unprecedented Coverage Plan, Multiplatform Campaign, First-Ever National Fútbol Day & More

With exactly one year to go until the FIFA World Cup 26™, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament, kicks off the countdown with a preview of its coverage plans, the launch of new marketing campaign, “El Mundial Es Nuestro” (The World Cup is Ours), and the historic national proclamation of El Día Nacional del Fútbol.

As the exclusive Spanish-language home of all FIFA properties through 2026, Telemundo is moving full speed ahead in its preparations for the most ambitious and authentic coverage and programming of the FIFA World Cup 26™ across Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock leading up to the historic event taking place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

“For us at Telemundo, today is about more than a countdown to FIFA World Cup 2026—we’re not just covering the tournament, we’re preparing to host history, and the road we’re paving to 2026 will prove it,” said Joaquin Duro, EVP, Sports, Telemundo. “From airing all 104 matches live and showcasing more games on broadcast television than ever before to offering the most extensive coverage in the lead-up to the World Cup and during the tournament, we’re all in.”

Telemundo Prepares to Host History with Unprecedented Coverage Plans

Telemundo will broadcast all 104 matches live—92 on Telemundo and 12 on Universo—marking the most Men’s World Cup matches ever aired on a broadcast network in U.S. media history, regardless of language. Every match will stream live on Peacock and the Telemundo App.

The network’s unprecedented multimedia production will include in-venue presence at all 104 matches, offering live, on-the-ground reporting from multiple positions across all host stadiums. Coverage will originate from a network of presentation studios based in Mexico City, Miami, and New York, as well as from additional broadcast locations and dedicated crews across all 16 host cities offering live on-the-ground content on all matchdays. This will be Telemundo’s most extensive footprint ever, with expanded pre-game, halftime, and post-match coverage across platforms.

Enhanced Experience Across Platforms

Telemundo’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup 26 ™ on Peacock will be available next Summer. The platform will deliver an exciting and inclusive streaming experience to draw in fans and give users new ways to get the most complete and engaging content of the tournament and its new extended format, featuring 104 matches. Additional details of the features and offering will be announced at a later date. For more information about Telemundo coverage of the FIFA World Cup 26 ™ on Peacock, please visit: https://www.peacocktv.com/sports/copa-mundial

In addition, the network will be launching the new 24/7 Sports FAST channel Telemundo Deportes Ahora will deliver over 50 hours of LIVE Spanish-language sports content each week—including original programming and a robust slate of live sporting events—created specifically for today’s digital audiences. The channel offers a fresh, always-on sports experience that keeps fans plugged into the most compelling stories, events, and personalities in sports, with a spotlight on “fútbol” as the countdown to FIFA World Cup 26™ begins. Telemundo Deportes Ahora is slated to launch in August 2025.

Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers Expand ‘Rumbo Al Mundial’ Offering

Telemundo acquired the Spanish-language rights to the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers, bolstering its Rumbo al Mundial franchise. This expands the network’s portfolio, which already includes exclusive Spanish-language rights to Argentina and Brazil’s home 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and Team USA. Complete coverage of the final Concacaf qualifiers rounds will air in September, October and November 2025, followed by the live presentation of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Draw in December 2025.

World Cup Excitement Is Soaring Among Viewers and Advertisers 

According to NBCUniversal insights, 66% of intended Spanish-language viewers are very excited for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 26™, a 25% increase over 2022 sentiment. The heightened excitement is translating into greater viewership, with 8 in 10 fans already committed to watching, up +11% from 2022. Additionally, 4 in 5 intended viewers plan to watch more of the WC in 2026 vs. 2022

Spanish-language coverage continues to resonate deeply. A majority of 55% of bilingual viewers prefer Spanish-language over English-language. NBCU’s Spanish-language coverage scores +87% higher in passion vs. the English-language broadcast. In addition, 79% of potential Spanish-language viewers feel a stronger connection to brands that advertise during the World Cup—+34% higher than intended English-language viewers.

Source: BPI MWC '22 Sentiment Tracker and BPI MWC '26 One Year Out Study

Marketing Taps into Identity and Pride with “El Mundial Es Nuestro”

Telemundo launches “El Mundial Es Nuestro” (The World Cup is Ours)” to mark the one-year countdown to the world’s biggest and most anticipated sporting event. The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be a once-in-a-generation event—and Telemundo will be the premier destination delivering every match, every moment and every heartbeat live in Spanish—the language of fútbol.

The campaign celebrates Latino passion and pride for the sport, with cinematic storytelling that invites everyone to experience the World Cup and captures the deep cultural connection between fútbol and Latino communities. Filmed across several locations featuring sweeping shots of FIFA World Cup 26™ host cities, the anthem spot is more than just a commercial, it's a cultural manifesto.

Produced in-house, the yearlong production involved over 300 crew members and extras, award-winning cinematographers and real fútbol fans. It’s visually stunning—bursting with color, history, and movement, designed to ignite our living rooms, our streets and our cities with fútbol fever.

The campaign will run across NBCUniversal platforms, including Telemundo, NBC, and Peacock, with on-air promos, editorial segments, digital and social content, and immersive fan experiences at Universal Destinations & Experiences. Distribution partners including Xfinity, Dish, and Cox will also amplify the campaign across key touchpoints nationwide.

First-Ever National Day Dedicated to Fútbol in the U.S.

In a landmark cultural moment, Telemundo makes history by securing the first-ever national day dedicated to fútbol in the U.S. El Día Nacional del Fútbol honors the sport, recognizing its deep roots in Latino culture.

The annual observance will take place every June 11, commemorating the sport’s influence and marking the one-year-out countdown to FIFA World Cup 26™. The historic proclamation also pays homage to the long-standing relationship between Latino communities and soccer in the United States. In addition to the official ceremony, the proclamation of El Día Nacional del Fútbol will be displayed in Times Square. 

El Día Nacional del Fútbol is more than a celebration—it’s a historic day that represents unity, cultural pride, and collective spirit as the U.S. counts down to the biggest World Cup in history. Telemundo will activate this historic day through nationwide coverage, community partnerships, cultural storytelling, and media campaigns that reflect the spirit and soul of fútbol in America.

Telemundo Station Group Powers the Celebrations with Original Programming

Telemundo Station Group, part of NBCUniversal Local, joins the celebration with a robust slate of content and programming across its television, streaming and digital platforms leading up to the tournament next summer.

Premiering today is “Tras La Huella Del Fútbol,” an original documentary that explores fútbol fandom across the Americas and the tournament’s legacy and economic and cultural impact. The half-hour special, produced by Telemundo Local Studios and hosted by Telemundo 52 Los Angeles sports anchor Alejandro Navarro and Telemundo 47 Nueva York sports anchor Verónica Contreras, features legendary figures who have shaped the game and inspire its future. The special will air across Telemundo-owned stations and the Telemundo regional news streaming channels today at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT, and will encore regularly, including as an extended one-hour format, leading up to the kickoff of the FIFA World Cup 26™.

In addition, several Telemundo-owned stations will debut World Cup specials and segments this week to deliver in-depth previews and local perspectives on the upcoming tournament, including fan culture and the growing influence of fútbol in their markets. These will be presented nationwide on the Telemundo regional news FAST streaming channels. The free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels are available on leading streaming and connected TV (CTV) platforms, including the Telemundo-owned stations’ desktop and mobile sites and apps.

Beginning June 18, Telemundo-owned stations will launch “Camino Al Trofeo,” a weekly news segment tracking World Cup updates and fan engagement also available on the stations’ digital platforms. In addition, “Las Mujeres Detrás del Fútbol” (The Women Behind Fútbol), a monthly Spanish- and English-language interview series highlighting the contributions of women in soccer, will debut June 11 across Telemundo- and NBC-owned station platforms.