October 2 – For months, there had been whispers in Buenos Aires that Argentinians might be left staring at a black screen when the 2026 World Cup rolls around. The prospect of Lionel Messi defending their title in North America without millions of fans at home able to follow the action on free-to-air TV at home was unthinkable.
Mercifully, the alarm bells were silenced at the Martín Fierro Awards ceremony when host Santiago del Moro revealed that Telefe had secured the rights. Telefe will carry the lion’s share of matches, with Pablo Giralt and Juan Pablo Varsky, two of Argentina’s most trusted football voices, returning to the commentary booth.
TV Pública, the state broadcaster, has also secured rights, ensuring that Argentina’s matches will be shown in every nook and cranny of this football-mad country. This agreement also conforms to FIFA regulations, which stipulate that each nation’s games must be available on free-to-air television. During Copa America 2024, some viewers were excluded from watching matches behind a paywall.
“The World Cup belongs to everyone,” has long been the refrain in Argentina. This agreement makes good on that promise. But the mere suggestion that fans could have been locked out has served as a reminder that free football coverage is now at the mercy of money.