The German federal government is paving the way for public‑viewing events during this year’s World Cup. The Federal Environment Ministry is presently drafting a regulation that would apply to the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, which runs from 11 June to 19 July, according to a ministry spokesperson who spoke to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. The draft has not yet been approved by the federal cabinet and will also need the consent of the Bundesrat, although that is generally a formality. The government has already issued temporary “noise‑control” regulations for outdoor public television broadcasts at many World and European Championships since 2006, the spokesperson added.
The tournament, which begins on 11 June, will see 48 teams compete at 16 venues across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Because of the time‑zone differences, many matches that will be broadcast in Germany will be scheduled for the evening and night. For instance, Germany’s opening‑match in the tournament, a game against Curaçao on 14 June at the Houston stadium, is set to kick off at 12:00 local time, which is 19:00 CEST. Germany’s other group games – against Ivory Coast on 20 June and Ecuador on 25 June – are slated to start at 22:00 CEST.