FIFA 2026 World Cup airing on CBC TV8

FIFA’s 2026 World Cup will introduce several significant rule changes designed to improve fairness, speed and conduct on the pitch.

Players who cover their mouths during on-field confrontations risk being sent off, following several high-profile incidents, including one involving Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior.

VAR technology will be upgraded with artificial intelligence and 3D tracking to deliver offside decisions within seconds, while its scope will be expanded to address wrongly awarded corners and cases of mistaken identity.

CBC TV8 will have coverage of the FIFA World Cup, beginning with the opening match between hosts Mexico and South Africa, live on Thursday from 3 p.m. Barbados time.

The other opening-day match, South Korea versus Czechia, will be shown on tape delay at 8 a.m. on Friday.