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WITH less than 100 days to go until the kick-off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the most pressing question among Malaysian football fans is no longer who the potential champions will be, but rather where they can watch the live broadcast of the prestigious tournament.
So far, no television station in Malaysia has officially announced that they have the broadcasting rights for the tournament.
The lack of such an announcement has begun to raise big questions among loyal fans of the world's number one sport.
Even more worrying, neighbouring countries Indonesia and Singapore have already taken a step forward when they have each announced the official broadcasters for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thus providing certainty to millions of football fans in the country.
In Malaysia, on the other hand, the atmosphere is still vague, and the lack of an official announcement raises the big question of whether it is just a matter of time before a big announcement is made, or whether Malaysia is actually facing the unprecedented possibility of no live broadcast of the World Cup since it was broadcast in 1982.
The concern is not without foundation because in the history of the country's broadcasting, Malaysians have rarely missed enjoying the World Cup live, although the coverage may be limited to certain matches only.
For the 2026 edition, the tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, for the first time jointly hosted by three countries, namely Canada, Mexico and the United States.
It will also be the first edition to feature 48 teams, involving 104 matches taking place in 16 cities.
With the scale of the event being much larger than previous editions, the cost of broadcasting rights will certainly increase; hence, the question of whether financial factors are a barrier to any local station from appearing as the official broadcaster.
If it is true that no live broadcast has been announced, will it be the first time that Malaysia has been 'dark' from live broadcasts of the World Cup?
Looking back on history, the most touching moment in the broadcasting of the World Cup in Malaysia occurred in 1982 when the tournament was held in Spain.
At that time, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) was facing financial constraints to buy the full broadcast rights. In fact, initially RTM only planned to broadcast four matches live, involving the opening match, two semi-finals and the final, while the other matches were simply reported on the news and radio.
The cost of a live broadcast at that time reached around RM60,000, a large amount in that era, but the spirit of the Malaysian people overcame all constraints.
It all started when an insurance agent, Peter Teo, contacted the media and suggested that every Malaysian contribute RM1 to enable more matches to be broadcast live.
The solution announced was a proposal to create a special fund where Malaysians could donate to make the mission of watching the 1982 World Cup a success. With the approval of RTM, a fund was launched called the People’s Live Telecast Fund (PLTF).
The response was extraordinary; within just a few days, the collection reached tens of thousands of ringgit before finally managing to collect about RM300,000, enough to cover the cost of four additional live broadcasts.
As a result, several important matches, including England against West Germany and Italy against Brazil, could be watched live, in addition to the official RTM broadcast. On the television screen, a rather proud sentence was displayed: 'Sponsored by the Malaysian People'.
That was the first time that the people of this country truly 'bought' the World Cup with their own pocket money to ensure they did not miss out on the historic moment of world football.
However, of course, today's cost landscape can no longer be compared to 1982, which saw a live broadcast estimated at around RM60,000.
With the latest edition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup involving 48 teams and more than 100 matches, the value of its broadcasting rights will surely soar many times over, in line with the scale and commercialism of modern football.
However, in a world of broadcasting that is now driven by digital technology, streaming and multi-platform competition, the real issue is not just a question of price.
What is more important is the readiness to ensure that millions of domestic football fans are not marginalised from legally witnessing the historic moments of the world's biggest tournament.
If no broadcaster comes forward, where will domestic football fans go? Will they have to rely on foreign broadcasts, international paid streaming platforms or, more worryingly, illegal sites?
The World Cup is not just a football tournament. It is a global festival that brings together families in living rooms, friends in mamak shops and communities across the country.
In the era of advanced technology and the digital economy, it is hard to imagine Malaysia not having a live broadcast for the world's biggest tournament, but until the official announcement is made, the question mark continues to hover.
The history of 1982 proves that when it comes to the World Cup, Malaysians are willing to unite.
The question now is, do we, the people, need to set up a fund again, or will there be a party that will ensure that fans do not continue to wonder? – February 28, 2026
Md Fariq
Kuala Lumpur
The observations reflect the writer's personal insights and do not necessarily represent the official stance of The Vibes.com
