How to watch the FIFA 2018 World Cup live online

The FIFA 2018 World Cup has been one of the most exciting on record. Just two games remain, the World Cup Final where France face Croatia and the third place play off between Belgium and England. We explain how you can stream every single World Cup match live online for free including the World Cup Final, and in HD. We’ll also show you how to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to watch from home or abroad, so you don’t have to worry about regional restrictions getting between you and the year’s biggest sporting event. A VPN will enable you to live stream FIFA World Cup 2018 live matches online from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and anywhere else in the world.

This article is only going to cover official live streams. While there will undoubtedly be unofficial World Cup streams, there’s really no reason to use them as there are plenty of free and low-cost, entirely legitimate ways to watch. When you consider that unsanctioned streams are prone to sudden takedowns and often only available in standard definition, they become far less attractive.

FIFA World Cup 2018 live streaming: use a VPN

If you’re traveling from your home country this year or looking to access some free World Cup matches legally, you do have options through a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN will connect you to a server in the country of your choice, allowing you to bypass geographic content restrictions put in place for live streams online.

We recommend using ExpressVPN to watch the 2018 World Cup. It offers a huge selection of high-speed servers so you can stream without any noticeable buffering or lag.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which will cover most of the World Cup schedule.

BEST VPN FOR THE 2018 WORLD CUP:ExpressVPN is our #1 Choice. With a vast server network that is optimized for high-speed connections, it’s perfect for watching the World Cup. User-friendly apps for all operating systems. Hard to beat on privacy and security. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

How to watch World Cup 2018 games live online with a VPN

1. Choose a VPN designed for HD streaming. We’ve already mentioned ExpressVPN, but two other high-performing, low-cost options are NordVPN and CyberGhost.
2. Register on the VPN provider’s website.
3. Download and install the VPN client. Make sure you choose the right version for your operating system.
4. Select a suitable streaming site from the list below.
5. Connect to a server in the correct location.
6. Visit the streaming website. You should now be able to watch the game.

What channel is the FIFA World Cup on?

This event is a worldwide attraction, so it’s no surprise that it’s being covered by major networks in almost every country. Below, you’ll find the official World Cup 2018 broadcaster for various regions.

UK

In the UK, both the BBC and ITV share broadcasting rights. This means that every FIFA World Cup 2018 game can be watched on either BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub. These services are free to use, although you will be asked if you have a valid UK TV License. Despite this, there are no verification measures in place.

The BBC has been trying hard to block as many VPNs as they can lately. As such, there are only a few providers left with the ability to unblock the iPlayer.

All commentary will be in English.

USA

FOX Sports is one of the two official broadcasters in the United States. If this channel is included in your cable or Sling TV subscription, you can watch it for free online. Otherwise, you’ll have to sign up for the FOXSoccerMatchPass at $19.99 a month. This includes a seven-day trial period, and you can cancel if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.

The other broadcaster is Telemundo Deportes. It’ll be making live streams available via NBC Sports. There’s no FIFA World Cup 2018 pass available yet, but this will likely be released in the run-up to the first game.

FOX Sports offers English commentary while Telemundo Deportes will cover the games in Spanish.

France

TF1 will be showing 28 of the 64 World Cup games for free on its website. This includes every game featuring the French national team. To view every game, French viewers can sign up to beIN Sports Connect. Prices start at €14 per month, but we’d recommend choosing the €15 subscription to avoid being locked into a year-long contract. Both TF1 and beIN Sports Connect will be providing French-language commentary.

Germany

Both ZDF and ARD will be showing every game for free in standard and high-definition. If you’d like to watch in 4K, you’ll need a Sky Sport subscription. This costs €29.99 per month, but day and week passes are also available. All three of these sources feature German commentary.

Portugal

SIC and RTP have the rights to broadcast eight World Cup matches in Portugal. These will be available for free, but to watch the entire tournament, you’ll have to subscribe to Sport TV. The basic service costs €9.99 per month but you can pay more to unlock 4K streams, additional channels, and a multi-screen feature. All commentary is in Portuguese.

India

SONYLIV will be showing the 2018 World Cup on its website as well as on terrestrial television. However, you’ll have to subscribe in order to watch. Packages start at ₹99 a month, but also include on-demand TV shows and movies. TV broadcasts will be available in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam, but there are no indications yet as to whether the live streams will be available in all of these languages too.

Australia

SBS is going to be your best option in Australia. SBS is a free, live TV service, similar to the BBC in terms of its operation. Australian residents can enjoy over 20 World Cup matches using the SBS World Game website. Broadcasts will be available with English commentary for Australian sports fans, and those outside of Australia can also connect into the streams using a qualified VPN service.

Other locations

This event is going to be available to watch in almost every country. If we haven’t covered your location specifically, you can check out the list of official FIFA World Cup 2018 broadcasters. Scroll down until you find your country, and try to find a source that’s either free or which offers a free trial. You should note that not every source will have an online streaming service; some will only be showing the games on TV.

Confirmed World Cup 2018 Fixtures

You can view details of fixtures as they’re announced by visiting the official World Cup schedule page.

Russia World Cup 2018 FAQs

Can I register for foreign streaming services?

Some services allow you to sign up from anywhere, although you might find that their content changes based on your location. Others prevent foreign users from registering by checking to see if their address or payment method is registered inside their broadcast area.

Unfortunately, unless you have a virtual credit card or someone in the required region that’s willing to help, there’s no easy way to sign up for these services. With the World Cup being shown in most countries, though, there’s almost certainly going to be a service you can use.

How does the World Cup work?

209 national teams played through a knockout tournament in 2015 to see who would qualify for the World Cup. At the end of the qualifiers, 32 teams were left standing. These were then split into eight four-team brackets, named Group A through H.

Each team will now play against every other team in their group, gaining points for winning or drawing a game. The top two teams in each group will go through to another knockout stage until only one team remains.

How to bet on the World Cup

Depending on what country you’re living in, you may be able to legally cast your bets for which team you think will win. And based on your predictions and the outcomes, you may walk away with a fair bit of cash in hand.

There are a number of online sports betting websites that are already taking bets on every matchup this season. As well, you can expect the pool for the final matchup to be large and intense.

For more information on how to bet on the World Cup, we recommend you check out our article on how to access betting and gambling websites abroad. You’ll be able to access everything from Betfair to Bet365, no matter where you are in the world.

Comparitech does not condone or encourage any copyright violation, including streaming video from pirated sources. Although VPNs can skirt geographical restrictions and mask the user’s identity, please consider local laws, victims, and risks of piracy before downloading or streaming copyrighted material without permission.