How to watch World Cup games live for free in your country
Broadcasters all over the world will carry live streams for the games. You can securely live stream FIFA World Cup with a VPN in just a few simple steps:
- Get ExpressVPN.
- Connect to a server location that matches the broadcaster you want to watch. For example, British fans can connect to a server in London to follow local UK broadcasters.
- Check the schedule of the broadcaster you want to watch, like the BBC.
- Tune in and enjoy the games!
Watching on a computer? For the best streaming experience, be sure to use the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Can I use a VPN to watch World Cup games from another country?
ExpressVPN is a privacy and security service and should not be used as a means of copyright circumvention. We cannot see or control what you do while connected to our VPN, so you are responsible for complying with our Terms of Service, your content provider’s terms, and any applicable laws.
Why do you need a VPN to watch the World Cup online?
Pints, pals, and well-informed TV pundits aren’t the only things that go perfectly with watching the World Cup—you’ll also want to add ExpressVPN to your checklist! Not only does ExpressVPN offer high-speed servers in 105 countries across the world, optimized for streaming and security, but with a VPN you can securely stream World Cup games live across your devices and even on your smart TVs and gaming consoles. Securely live stream World Cup games with a VPN on up to eight simultaneous connections, allowing you and your family to watch your favorite teams at home, on the go, or even abroad.
Best VPN for watching the FIFA World Cup
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for safely and securely watching FIFA World Cup live streams online. With next-gen 10-Gbps servers in locations around the world, you’ll never miss a goal or minute of the action. ExpressVPN has easy-to-use apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, as well as platforms that other VPN companies don’t support, like Linux, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and routers, plus browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. If you need help along the way, ExpressVPN offers 24/7 live chat support and a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee!
Key features:
- High-speed servers in 105 countries across the globe, all optimized for speed and security
- Up to 8 simultaneous connectionz
- 5-star customer service with 24/7 live chat support
- Strict privacy policy: No activity logs and no connection logs
- Comprehensive support site filled with DIY troubleshooting articles, handy video tutorials, and more
- The industry’s most advanced VPN server technology, TrustedServer, wipes data on every reboot
- Our advanced protection features help you block trackers and malicious sites, hide intrusive display ads, and filter out explicit content.
- Next-gen Lightway protocol offers greater speeds, security, and reliability, especially on mobile
Where to watch FIFA World Cup games for free online
Choose your region:
SBS
Price: Free
Country: Australia
Australian broadcaster SBS is airing all 64 World Cup matches for free. If you’re a Socceroos fan, their World Cup quest began against reigning champions France on November 22. You can sign up for a free account from anywhere by visiting www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/, then just connect to an Australian server, sign in, and start streaming!
BBC iPlayer
Price: Free
Country: UK
If you’re tuning in from the UK, the BBC will be showing World Cup streams online for free via its BBC iPlayer streaming service—including England’s opening group game against Iran on November 21 and other choice games from the group stage and knockout rounds. Another way to watch the BBC coverage is by using Swiss service Zattoo’s Premium tier, which comes with a 30-day free trial.
Want it on the big screen? Learn about all the ways to get ExpressVPN on your TV.
ITVX
Price: Free
Country: UK
ITX (formerly ITV Hub) is the online home of all of ITV’s content, with both on-demand and live stream events, including free FIFA World Cup streams. Check the schedule before tuning in to the matches. ITV will show several games from the group stages every day (including games featuring England and Wales), as well as select games from the knockout rounds. You can also tune into the ITV coverage via Swiss service Zattoo’s Premium tier, which comes with a 30-day free trial.
RTÉ Player
Price: Free
Country: Ireland
You can watch select matches live and for free on RTÉ Player as the Irish broadcaster holds the FIFA World Cup rights for Ireland.
ServusTV
Price: Free
Country: Austria
ServusTV (which also broadcasts Formula 1 races and UEFA Champions League games) provides free German-language World Cup streams, even though Austria will not be competing at this edition of tournament.
RTBF
Price: Free
Country: Belgium
French-language broadcaster RTBF has free-to-air rights for FIFA World Cup streams and will be broadcasting the tournament live. Belgium is currently ranked N0. 2 in the world and could well qualify top of its group—all the more reason to tune into its games, as well as many others the broadcaster is showing throughout.
Globoplay
Price: Free
Country: Brazil
For local coverage in Portuguese, you can watch games for free on the Brazilian streaming platform Globoplay.
DR TV
Price: Free
Country: Denmark
Free Danish streaming service DR TV carries live football matches and international sporting events including FIFA World Cup streams. No account is required, but note that the commentary is in Danish.
TF1
Price: Free
Country: France
France’s free streaming platform TF1 will provide free-to-air coverage of some World Cup games as Les Bleus try to defend their 2018 title. Create your account to start watching select games TFI has the rights for. Note that this stream is in French.
ARD
Price: Free
Country: Germany
For free German-language options, German broadcaster ARD is showing FIFA World Cup streams online. Four-time champions Germany are among the favorites to challenge for the World Cup this year, so follow their journey on ARD.
ZDF
Price: Free
Country: Germany
Germany’s ZDF is one of the country’s biggest networks and will also offer free World Cup streams during the tournament—in German.
Germany football fans can live stream 48 of 64 World Cup matches online for free on ARD and ZDF, including the semi-finals and final (Magenta TV will air the other 16 matches). In addition, the Austrian broadcasters ORF and Servus TV will stream all 64 matches online for free in German.
RAIPlay
Price: Free
Country: Italy
RaiPlay is great way to watch FIFA World Cup live streams for free in Italy. The free streaming service also lets you watch other sports, as well as Italian TV and movies. Note: The commentary is in Italian.
Abema
Price: Free
Country: Japan
Abema allows you to watch FIFA World Cup live streams for free in Japan. Catch all 64 games—including games featuring Japan and the final on December 18. Note: The commentary is in Japanese.
NOS
Price: Free
Country: Netherlands
The Netherlands have a rich history at internationals—yet have never won the World Cup, despite three finals appearances. If this is the year the Dutch go all the way, you can catch all the action—with Dutch commentary—when you stream free on the national broadcaster, NOS.
NRK TV
Price: Free
Country: Norway
Norwegian public-service broadcaster NRK TV and paid provider TV 2 will share the rights to show FIFA World Cup streams in Norway, with NRK TV showing its games for free. The games will be shown with Norwegian commentary.
RTVE
Price: Free
Country: Spain
Spanish broadcaster RTVE will broadcast all the matches that Spain plays, in addition to the opening game between Qatar vs. Ecuador and several of the knockout stages up to and including the final.
SVT
Price: Free
Country: Sweden
Swedish public-service broadcaster SVT has the official rights to stream World Cup games for free. SVT will air 32 of the 64 matches live on TV and online, with commentary in Swedish.
TV4
Price: Free
Country: Sweden
TV4 will air 32 of the 64 World Cup games during the tournament for free. SVT has the other fixtures, free to stream. The commentary is in Swedish.
How to watch FIFA World Cup games in the United States
In the United States, Fox Sports is the official English-language broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup. All USA matches will air on Fox, with many other games streaming on Fox Sports 1 (FS1). Telemundo has picked up the rights to broadcast games in the U.S. in Spanish, available to stream on Peacock. All channels are available by subscribing to cord-cutting services such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling Blue, and DirecTV Stream.
Hulu + Live TV
Price: 77 USD/month
Channel: Fox, FS1, Telemundo
With a cord-cutting service like Hulu+Live TV you can watch FIFA World Cup streams throughout the tournament on Fox and FS1. Hulu + Live TV offers more than 75 channels and also gives you access to full seasons of hit TV shows and movies on demand for an all-around entertainment package.
Note: You may need a U.S. credit/debit card to subscribe to Hulu.
Sling Blue
Price: 35 USD/month and up
Channels: Fox, FS1
Sling TV’s Sling Blue package comes with a host of channels including Fox Sports 1, allowing you to watch World Cup streams during the winter tournament. It costs 25 USD/month on top of Sling’s 10 USD/month subscription but comes with a three-day free trial, in case you only want to watch a specific game.
Fubo
Price: 75 USD/month
Channels: Fox, FS1, Telemundo
Fubo offers a seven-day free trial for new subscribers, which is a great way to live stream World Cup games online through Fox, FS1, or Telemundo if you want Spanish-language coverage.
Note: You may need a U.S. credit/debit card to subscribe to Fubo.
DirecTV Stream
Price: 75 USD/month and up
Channels: Fox, FS1, Telemundo
DirecTV Stream is a popular streaming platform for sports fans and includes Fox, which is broadcasting the FIFA World Cup in the United States. A five-day free trial is also available.
Note: You may need to provide a U.S. ZIP code (e.g., 90210, 10022) and a valid U.S. credit/debit card to subscribe to DirecTV Stream.
Peacock TV
Price: 6 USD/month
Channels: Telemundo
Fans in the U.S. who want to stream World Cup games with Spanish commentary should look no further than Peacock, which will stream every FIFA World Cup match live in Spanish on Telemundo. Peacock Premium is reasonably priced at just 6 USD per month and also streams many EPL games (in English).
How to stream FIFA World Cup games in Switzerland
Zattoo
Price: 10 EUR/month and up
Regions: Switzerland
Channels: BBC, ITV
With more than 250 channels across several countries, Swiss-based streaming service Zattoo has quickly become a go-to app when it comes to watching live TV. Zattoo is also a handy way to watch FIFA World Cup streams through BBC and ITV and offers a 30-day free trial.
How to stream FIFA World Cup games in France, Middle East, North Africa
beIN Sports
Price: Varies
Regions: France, Middle East, North Africa
Fans in France and 24 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Tunisia, Yemen, Djibouti, Mauritania, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Sudan, and Chad) can stream World Cup games live online on beIN Sports, which is showing the games in Arabic, English, and French. Highlights and clips of memorable moments will also be shown on beIN Sports social media channels and digital platforms throughout the tournament.
Watch World Cup goals and highlights for free
FIFA+
Price: Free
While you won’t be able to watch FIFA World Cup live on it, FIFA+ is a great companion app for football fans who want to rewatch classic World Cup games, browse the latest news and results, and pore over match data from games around the world. FIFA’s own streaming platform does offer highlights, documentaries, and plenty of other content to watch on-demand.
YouTube
Price: Free
You can catch highlights of games, goals, and memorable moments throughout the tournament on the official FIFA YouTube channel.
ExpressVPN is a VPN service not intended to be used as a means of copyright circumvention. Please read the ExpressVPN Terms of Service and your content provider’s Terms of Use for more details.
FAQ for streaming sports
Can I stream sports on my computer?
Can I stream sports on my phone or tablet?
Yes. ExpressVPN has apps for every major mobile device, including iOS and Android.
How can I stream on my TV with a VPN?
In brief there are five different ways to stream sports on your TV with ExpressVPN:
- With the native app for a smart TV or streaming device
- By streaming on your computer and connecting to the TV with an HDMI cable
- By mirroring or casting wirelessly to your TV or streaming device from your computer or mobile device
- By connecting to an ExpressVPN-enabled router, which allows for unlimited devices and makes it super simple to connect to different server locations simultaneously
- With MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN’s solution for devices that cannot install a VPN, such as some streaming consoles and gaming consoles. MediaStreamer only needs to be set up once, although it does not provide the full security benefits of a VPN.
For more information on all the ways to get ExpressVPN on your big-screen TV, click here or contact a 24/7 Support agent for step-by-step instructions.
I connected to the suggested VPN server location but I can’t log in to the streaming service!
No worries! Server load changes rapidly (especially when lots of people are trying to watch certain events), but that’s exactly why ExpressVPN has high-speed servers all over the world. If you’re trying to access a site in the U.S. or Germany, for instance, try connecting to a different server location in those countries.
If you’re trying to connect to a country with one server location, the first step is to check your location settings. If you’re on a mobile device, disconnect from the VPN, turn off location services, then connect to the VPN again. On both Windows and Mac computers, you can turn off Location Services within the Privacy & Security settings menu.
For more help, you can always talk to a member of our Support Team, available 24/7 by live chat.
I connected to the VPN but my internet speed is slow
If your internet speed is slow or your streaming seems to lag, there are a few possible reasons:
-The distance of your selected VPN server location from your physical location
-Your connection type (wired connections are more reliable than wireless connections)
-Suboptimal interconnectivity between the VPN and your ISP
-Slow internet connection speed at your location
-Your device type and processing power
Try each of the following steps to troubleshoot:
-Download the latest version of ExpressVPN
-Connect to a different VPN server location
-Change your VPN protocol
If you try each of the above and are still experiencing issues with your streaming speed, contact the ExpressVPN Support Team 24/7 and someone will be with you in seconds.
What other streaming services can I watch with ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN works seamlessly with all the most popular streaming apps from around the world. Using a VPN for streaming ensures you watch securely in blazing-fast HD with unlimited bandwidth, free from ISP throttling (which can sometimes slow down speeds). If you want to watch your favorite team from anywhere—even while traveling or on unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi—ExpressVPN is a great way to enhance your sports streaming experience.
Where is the African cup of nations?