The FIFA World Cup begins in Mexico, with the Opening Ceremony and first match broadcast on ABC.

Ongoing match coverage is split between ABC and SBS.

Source: TV Week, 31 May 1986

	ABN2	ATN7	TCN9	TEN10	SBS28
6AM	6am Soccer: FIFA World Cup. Official Opening/Match One: Italy v Bulgaria. Live from Mexico	6am The Partridge Family In The Year 2020 6.30 Family Theatre	6am It Is Written 6.20 Catholic Television 6.50 TV Mass	Music Video (cont’d) 6.30am The World Tomorrow
7AM		7am Cartoon Connection. Includes The New Scooby Doo Mysteries, Challenge Of The Machine Men, Dungeons And Dragons, The Jetsons	7.20 Point Of View 7.30 Turn Round Australia	7am Please Explain 7.30 Hour Of Power
8AM			8am Business Sunday	8.30 The Harry And Ralph Show
9AM	9am Playmates 9.55 The Amazing Adventures Of Morph	9am Sportsworld	9am Sunday
10AM	10am Captain Cookaburra’s Road To Discovery 10.25 Alexander Bunyip’s Billabong 10.30 Flash Gordon 10.55 Dr Snuggles
11AM	11am Divine Service		11am Sports Sunday	11am Tarzan
12PM	12pm Countrywide (Rpt) 12.30 Four Corners (Rpt)	12pm Whiz Kids		12pm Movie: Breakaway
1PM	1.20 State Of The Arts 1.50 Home Grown	1pm Motor Racing: Calder Raceway. Round Seven	1pm Movie: Harvey. 1951 (B&W) [IMDB]	1.50 Movie: The Silver Chalice. 1955 [IMDB]
2PM	2.05 Soccer: FIFA World Cup. Highlights 2.55 Rugby Union
3PM			3pm The Wonderful World Of Disney
4PM	4.45 Wrestling: Commonwealth Games Selection Trials	4pm Movie: The Kid With The Broken Halo. 1982 [IMDB]	4pm Sports Sunday	4.30 Solid Gold	4pm Lovely Brena And Sweet Sin (Yugoslavia) 4.30 Lepa Brena – In Her Own Way (Yugoslavia) 4.45 The Street Singers In Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
5PM	5pm The Winners			5.30 Eyewitness News	5pm Basketball: European Champions Clubs’ Cup Final. Highlights
6PM	6pm Countdown	6pm Seven National News. Scott Lambert 6.30 Family Ties	6pm National Nine News. Ian Ross 6.30 Our World: Cousteau — Search For Atlantis. Part Two	6pm Rugby League: The NEC Big Game	6pm Paths To Art 6.45 Sneak Preview
7PM	7pm ABC News. Geoff Hiscock 7.30 Storyboard	7pm Gimme A Break 7.30 Land Of Hope	7.30 60 Minutes	7.30 MASH	7pm World News. Christina Koutsoukos 7.30 Haroun Tazieff Invites Us Into His World (France)
8PM	8.20 Soldiers	8.30 Movie: The Best Of Friends. 1982 [IMDB]	8.30 Movie: Eye Of The Needle. 1981 [IMDB]	8.30 Movie: The Enforcer. 1976 [IMDB]	8.30 All The World’s A Stage
9PM	9.10 ABC News 9.15 Sunday Stereo Special				9.30 International Playhouse (Belgium)
10PM	10.35 Soccer: FIFA World Cup. Italy v Bulgaria. Highlights	10.30 Falcon Crest	10.50 Nightline	10.25 Entertainment This Week	10.30 Soccer: Match Of The Day
11PM	11.25 State Of The Arts 11.55 Year Of The French	11.30 Family Theatre	11pm Kojak	11.25 And Mother Makes Three 11.55 Dad’s Army
12AM	12.25am Close	12am Close	12am Movie: Queen Of The Stardust Ballroom. 1973 [IMDB]	12.25am Second City TV 12.55 Please Explain	12am Close
1AM			1.50 Movie: Lovey– A Circle Of Children. Part Two. 1978 [IMDB]	1.25 Ian Crouch 1.30 Close
2AM
3AM					3.45 Soccer: FIFA World Cup. Spain v Brazil. Live from Mexico (Continues to 6am)
4AM
5AM			5.10 The Big Valley (Continues to 6am)