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TeleRebelde announced this Saturday that it will broadcast live a selection of the best matches from the group stage and all the games of the knockout round of the , as reported by the Cuban Institute of Information and Social Communication on its X account.
The announcement comes two days after the channel interrupted the broadcast of the opening ceremony of the tournament after just about 10 minutes, switching to cycling and women's volleyball, which sparked an outpouring of criticism and outrage on social media.
According to the official statement, "starting today, a selection of the best matches from the group stage and all matches from the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup will be broadcast live."
The channel also specified that "all live broadcasts of the matches will also have a daily replay," which expands access opportunities for Cubans affected by frequent power outages.
The first match under this new coverage is Brazil vs. Morocco, corresponding to Group C, starting at 6:00 pm Cuba time this Saturday, held at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.
The context in which this promise arrives is one of deep-seated distrust.
In provinces like Camagüey, it was reported that the television signal had been interrupted for over four days right at the start of the tournament, while in Las Tunas, power outages and a lack of fuel also left citizens without television in the early days of the World Cup.
The state media suggested the streaming platform Picta as an alternative, although its use is restricted by the electricity crisis and limited internet connectivity on the island.
TeleRebelde's history with the broadcast of major international tournaments has been erratic and dependent on the availability of funds to acquire rights.
In May 2021, the channel publicly admitted to not having the funds for the rights to the Euro Cup and the Copa América, although it later reached partial agreements: the complete Copa América and the Euro Cup only from the knockout stage.
In May 2022, TeleRebelde announced that it would not broadcast the Champions League final as it had not acquired the corresponding rights.
The FIFA World Cup 2026, taking place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is the first with 48 teams divided into 12 groups of four teams, with 32 advancing to the knockout stage: the top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams.
The announcement this Saturday represents, at least on paper, the broadest commitment to international football coverage that the channel has made in recent years, although the infrastructure crisis on the island will remain the main obstacle preventing Cubans from enjoying the tournament.
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