It started today. Mexico faced South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City this afternoon, opening the first 48 team World Cup and the first hosted by three countries. The Azteca becomes the only stadium ever to stage three World Cup openers, after 1970 and 1986.
The group stage now runs daily through June 27, with as many as six matches on the busiest days across four North American time zones. For viewers, that means football basically around the clock, and it makes knowing your free viewing options worth five minutes of reading.
Quick reference for the group stage: UK viewers get every match free on BBC and ITV, Australians get everything on SBS On Demand, and Brazilians get all 104 on CazeTV via YouTube. Our country by country guide covers the rest, including what to do if your country has no free broadcaster.