France face Nigeria in World Cup 2026 Group G on Friday June 20 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kick-off at 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. BST. Kylian Mbappe’s France come into the match having beaten Senegal 3-1 in their opener, while Nigeria face a must-win situation after dropping points in their first group game.
In the United States, Fox holds English-language broadcast rights and Telemundo covers the match in Spanish. Both are available on major cable and satellite providers. Streaming is available through Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and the Fox Sports app. The match kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern, 12 p.m. Pacific — a lunchtime fixture on the East Coast.
In the United Kingdom, ITV1 carries the France match with free-to-air coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. BST. ITVX streams the match simultaneously and is available to all UK-based viewers without a subscription. In France, TF1 and M6 are sharing World Cup rights, with this match on TF1 live and streaming on TF1 Plus. In Nigeria, Supersport holds broadcast rights across sub-Saharan Africa and is showing the match on multiple channels including Supersport Football and Premier.
Mbappe scored twice in France’s opening win over Senegal and is the tournament’s joint top scorer through the first round of group games. Manager Didier Deschamps is expected to field the same starting eleven that began against Senegal, with one possible change in the defensive midfield where N’Golo Kante’s fitness was being carefully managed. Mbappe’s double against Senegal broke the French record for World Cup goals by a player under 26.
Nigeria qualified through the African confederation with one of the continent’s strongest campaigns. Victor Osimhen leads their attack and his combination of pace and finishing makes him a threat any defence in the world must respect. Their midfield, built around Wilfred Ndidi and Franck Kessie, gives them the steel to compete physically with European opponents. A positive result against France would be one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
MetLife Stadium has been one of the most atmospheric venues of the early group stage, with large diaspora communities from multiple nations creating a unique multi-national crowd for each fixture. France vs Nigeria is expected to have significant French and Nigerian supporter sections that will generate a loud atmosphere from the first whistle.
In Australia, Optus Sport and SBS are sharing the broadcast. In Canada, TSN and CTV carry the rights. England vs Ghana kicks off at the same time in Arlington, giving football fans two simultaneous World Cup matches to choose between on Friday afternoon in the United States.
