The FIFA World Cup 2026 is here and if you are new to Germany, this guide tells you everything an international needs: when die Mannschaft plays, where to watch in your city, and the German words that will help you blend in at the bar. The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the biggest edition yet, with 48 teams and 104 matches. Germany opened with a 7–1 win over Curaçao on June 14 in Houston and according to Deutsche Welle, around 23 million viewers tuned in from Germany. Two group-stage matches remain: Germany vs Ivory Coast on June 20 at 10pm CEST and Germany vs Ecuador on June 26 at 10pm CEST.
To watch in Germany, head to ZDF Sportschau, the public broadcaster is streaming every game free of charge through the ZDF Mediathek. If you are registered (angemeldet) at a German address, you already pay the Rundfunkbeitrag (TV and radio fee), so this is included. There is no big fan mile at the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin this year, but the capital has 14 official public viewing locations. Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne and Stuttgart each have their own. Check your city’s official website. Bars and restaurants can show any match that kicks off at or before 10pm CEST; later games may be harder to catch in public, since matches run between 6pm and 6am CEST. Note: the German Weather Service (DWD) forecast rain across northern Germany for the opening weekend, so pack a jacket for evening screenings.
Now for the language part. Football has its own vocabulary in German and a handful of words go a long way. Shout Auf geht’s Deutschland! (Let’s go Germany!) at kick-off and Tor! (goal) when the ball hits the net. A penalty kick is an Elfmeter literally “eleven meters”, the distance from spot to goal. The goalkeeper is der Torwart, the referee is der Schiedsrichter (everyone just shouts Schiri!) and a dive is a Schwalbe (a swallow the bird). Abseits is offside, Gelb and Rot are the yellow and red cards (slang for red: Arschkarte). Match reactions you will hear and want to use: Gut gehalten! (good save), Das war knapp! (that was close), Foul!, and Viel Spaß beim Schauen means enjoy the games.
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