Key Aspects:
- MSC Cruises will feature live broadcasts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches on all ships.
- The tournament games are set for June 11 to July 19, 2026.
- The cruise line will show the matches in lounges and other public venues.
Add MSC Cruises to the list of cruise lines that will offer guests the chance to view live broadcasts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches this summer. A total of 104 matches will be held between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
The line announced on February 12, 2026, that the matches will be shown in several public venues around its ships, including sports and casino bars, on giant LED screens on the pool decks, and in select lounges and theater spaces.
In a departure from other cruise lines’ plans, MSC Cruises’ statement does not indicate that the televisions in guest staterooms will show the matches. However, the cruise line will offer related programs tied to the World Cup, such as interactive games and quizzes, and other family-oriented activities.
The broadcasts will be provided fleetwide, offering a wide international audience for the popular tournament, as MSC Cruises’ ships sail global itineraries. This includes regions where football is especially popular, such as Europe and South America.
Guests sailing on the 2,550-guest MSC Poesia, for instance, during her 7-night Alaska cruise on June 22, 2026, will be able to view the games. The ship sails roundtrip from Seattle and calls at Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and Juneau, Alaska, and Victoria, Canada.
Other opportunities for watching the matches on an MSC Cruises’ ship include MSC Virtuosa’s 7-night voyage roundtrip from Southampton, England, on July 4. Passengers can enjoy the football games as the 4,842-guest ship travels to La Rochelle and Cherbourg, France, and Bilbao and La Coruna, Spain.
Read Also: Why Are MSC Cruises So Cheap?
Another option is to sail aboard the 2,550-guest MSC Orchestra’s 7-night Mediterranean cruise departing July 2, 2026, from Marseille, France. The itinerary, roundtrip from Genoa, Italy, features calls to Tarragona, Spain; and Livorno and Rome, Italy.
In the wildly popular soccer tournament, 48 national teams will compete in the event, which is being hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US; it is the first tri-nation World Cup championship.
Other Cruise Lines Will Also Show FIFA Matches
MSC Cruises’ World Cup announcement follows several others across the industry. Carnival Corporation was the first to confirm that some of its brands would showcase the matches after it reached an agreement with IMG, the sports agency that holds the rights to the broadcasts.
In December 2025, Carnival revealed that all of the matches would be shown via the Sport 24 Special Event Channels onboard ships operated by Princess Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Seabourn, and P&O Cruises. Guests will be able to enjoy the matches at public venues as well as in their cabins.
Norwegian Cruise Line revealed in late January 2026 that it, too, had struck a deal to broadcast the matches. The line will take a broader approach, offering two channels that will feature the sport, since some matches will be held simultaneously.
Also, Norwegian’s plans include recording each match so that guests who are on shore excursions, or otherwise engaged, can view the game later, but within 24 hours of the match.
