How to watch the 2022 World Cup live online for free with a VPN

Believe it or not, it’s been four years already since France‘s climactic showdown against Croatia in Moscow. That can only mean one thing: another World Cup is about to begin. From November 21 until December 18, there’ll be highs, lows, and nail-biting moments that fans will be discussing for a long time afterward. Best of all, there’s no need to travel; you can watch the 2022 World Cup online using VPN, even if you don’t have cable TV.

We only recommend watching official World Cup streams. While third-party streams are unfortunately inevitable, they often provide a very poor experience. You’ll usually find that the video is low-quality, with a feed that stops and starts (assuming it stays online for any real amount of time). Given how rarely the FIFA World Cup happens, why risk missing the end of a pivotal match when there are legitimate free (or low-cost) sources available?

The World Cup will be broadcast almost everywhere but not every network will have commentary in your preferred language. To regain access to your usual streaming services while traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

How to watch the World Cup from anywhere with a VPN

VPNs are privacy tools that encrypt your internet traffic, shielding your activities from anyone who might be watching. However, they’re also helpful for unblocking your favorite streaming services during a trip abroad.

Here’s how to watch the 2022 World Cup with a VPN:

1. Begin by choosing a reputable VPN provider. We particularly recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two exceptional alternatives.
2. Install the VPN app on any device you stream with. Most providers let you connect around five at a time, so it’s perfectly fine if there are a few you use regularly.
3. Log into the VPN and choose a server in your home country. This changes your IP address, which is what most streaming services use to find your location.
4. You should now be able to access region-locked services from anywhere in the world, including FIFA World Cup streams.
5. Having trouble? Clear your cookies and refresh the page to fix the most common problems.

We strongly recommend testing your VPN with your preferred streaming service before kick off. After all, when it comes to live events, there’s no room for error; one minor technical problem could see you missing part of the match. The VPNs mentioned above all offer free 24/7 support over live chat, so it’s quick and easy to get help if you need it.

The Best VPNs for World Cup 2022: Detailed reviews

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is by far the best VPN to watch the World Cup. The VPN is super fast thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocol. This means you can use it to watch international broadcasts of matches in full HD quality. 

It has servers in 59+ countries, many of which have streams of World Cup games. That means you can easily stream a game that isn’t showing where you live – or watch a match with foreign commentary, if you are currently abroad.

NordVPN has fantastic apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. That means you can watch the world cup on any device. It is also one of the few VPNs that work with BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, FOX Sports, TSN, and SBS on-demand. That means it gives you complete access to every popular English-language broadcast. 

It also works with Korean stations, Spanish-language broadcasts, French streaming services, and countless other international services that are showing World Cup matches – including BeIN Sports. 

You can try NordVPN risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee, and it offers incredible value for money considering the low cost of a subscription.

Pros

• Fast speeds
• Excellent value for money
• Works to access World Cup broadcasts in 30+ countries
• Apps for all devices
• Watertight privacy and online security

Cons

• Some servers take up to 30-seconds to connect

INCREDIBLE ALL-ROUNDER: Works to watch the World Cup on BBC iPlayer, FOX, and many other streaming services. Apps for all popular platforms. Plenty of advanced privacy and security features. 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Read our full review of NordVPN

2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a consumer-favorite VPN for a number of reasons. The VPN is exceptionally cheap despite allowing you to install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. That means you can share your account with friends and family. 

Apps are available for laptops, mobiles, smartphones, and desktop computers. You can also share your connection with any other device in your home (such as smart TVs and consoles) by setting up a VPN-protected virtual hotspot on Windows or Mac.

Surfshark provides the ultra-modern WireGuard protocol, which was designed to provide faster speeds. This makes Surfshark perfect for watching World Cup matches in full HD quality without buffering or lag. 

Servers are available in over 100 countries, which makes it perfect for accessing international streams of matches. It works with iPlayer, ITV Hub, FOX Sports, TF1, BeIN Sports, SBS, ARD, ZDF, RTS, and many other networks showing the 2022 World Cup.

Live chat support is available 24/7, which means you can get help setting up or using the VPN. And it has a 30-day money-back guarantee to let you test it with your favorite streaming service risk-free.

Pros

• Fast WireGuard protocol
• Outstanding international accessibility 
• Apps for all devices
• Lots of excellent privacy features
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• Some server locations are a touch slower than others

LOW COST: Surfshark is very cheap for what you get. Lets you install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. Fast WireGuard connections for streaming the World Cup. Works with most international streaming services. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full Surfshark review

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is a provider that has been around since 2009. Over the last decade, the VPN has proven itself to be a customer-favorite VPN that is perfect for gaining both online privacy, security, and, of course, streaming the World Cup wherever you are.

The VPN has apps for all popular platforms, and you can use it on up to 5 devices. That means you can watch the World Cup on all of your devices at once. Best of all, the VPN is lightning fast because of its proprietary Lightway protocol, which was designed for streaming in HD, gaming, and other data-intensive tasks.

ExpressVPN has over 3000 servers in 94+ countries. This makes it great for accessing international streams of the World Cup. We found that the service works with iPlayer, FOX Sports, TSN, BeIN Sports, Movistar Plus, RTVE, and many other networks.

ExpressVPN is a touch pricey. However, it has a lot of excellent advanced features, including DNS leak protection, AES encryption, and obfuscation. It also throws in a free Smart DNS service to help you acess US TV on smart TVs and consoles. You can try it risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros 

• Lightning fast for streaming
• Works to access international streaming services
• Lots of excellent privacy features
• Servers in 94+ countries

Cons

• A touch more expensive than our top choices

FAST SPEEDS: A secure, versatile, and reliable VPN. Super fast Lightway protocol for streaming. Works with iPlayer, FOX Sports, SBS, and many other international streaming services. Easy to use on all devices. 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Read our full review of ExpressVPN

How to watch the World Cup for free on UK TV

Just like in previous years, the UK’s World Cup coverage will be split between the BBC and ITV. Both of these networks have their own streaming platform (BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub) that lets you watch live, so British fans can stream the entire 2022 World Cup online for free. There’s no need to worry about missing a match either, since both services let you catch up on recently-broadcast fixtures afterward, too.

Now, there are a couple of things to be aware of. First, you’ll need to create an account to use either of these services. Signing up doesn’t cost anything and only takes a moment. More importantly, British law requires you to have a TV license to watch live on ITV Hub or to watch anything on BBC iPlayer (even on-demand content). No license is required if you only stream replays on ITV Hub.

BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub are only normally available in the UK. However, you can keep using these services while traveling by connecting to a British VPN server. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you the chance to try it totally risk-free. If you’re unimpressed or just don’t need a VPN after the World Cup ends, just cancel during this time for a full refund.

Where else can I watch the 2022 World Cup online?

As you might expect, the World Cup is being shown in dozens of countries. Here’s a guide to streaming the 2022 World Cup online where you are:

USA

FOX has full broadcasting rights for this year’s World Cup. 35 fixtures will air on the FOX channel, with the remaining 29 airing on FS1. You can sign into the Fox Sports website with your cable TV provider or any of the streaming services listed below.

Alternatively, users can watch any of these fixtures via the FOX Sports app (though a login is still required):

• fuboTV: $69.99 USD per month, seven-day free trial
• Sling TV (Blue plan): $17.50 for the first month, $35 per month afterwards
• Hulu with Live TV: $69.99 per month, no trial
• YouTube TV: $54.99 for the first three months, five-day trial

Looking for Spanish-language World Cup coverage? Every single match will be available on either Telemundo or Universo. To watch these channels, simply sign into the NBC website with your TV provider or any of the above streaming services. Alternatively, if you don’t have cable, a cheaper option is to watch on Peacock (though you’ll need a Premium account, which costs $4.99 per month).

These services are all region-locked, so you’ll need a VPN to access them abroad.

Australia

SBS will be showing more than 500 hours of World Cup coverage (including all 64 matches). Fans will be able to stream World Cup games live or replay them on-demand, which is handy considering most fixtures will start late at night due to the time difference. This service is completely free to use, though you’ll have to create an account before you can watch anything.

Technically, Digicell TV customers can also watch using the PlayGo app. However, there’s little reason to do this when SBS has such a fully featured website offering the exact same content.

SBS and PlayGo are geo-restricted. Despite this, anyone traveling outside of Australia can regain access using a VPN.

Canada

Canadian soccer fans can sign into the CTV website with their cable provider details to stream all 64 fixtures live. Additionally, matches will be available on-demand shortly after they finish. If you don’t have cable TV, you’ll need a TSN account instead. These cost $19.99 CAD per month and unfortunately, don’t include any kind of free trial.

CTV and TSN normally only work in Canada. You can securely access them from anywhere by connecting to one of your VPN’s Canadian servers.

France

28 World Cup fixtures will be shown for free on TF1. This includes 16 group stage fixtures, the semi-finals, and the World Cup Final. All you have to do is create an account, and you’ll be able to watch live or on-demand.

The only way to stream the remaining 36 matches is with beIN Sports. At the time of writing, you can sign up for $15 per month, but we’d encourage you to read the conditions carefully since this service has previously put its lowest prices front and center while not making it clear that certain plans lock you into a long-term commitment.

Both of these services are regionally-restricted, meaning you’ll need a VPN to use them while traveling.

Germany

Good news for anyone in Germany: 48 of the 64 World Cup matches will be broadcast free of charge on either ARD or ZDF. You don’t even have to register beforehand, just show up a little before kick off time and start streaming!

The other 16 games are exclusive to Magenta TV. Online-only plans with the sports channels cost €16.95 per month, though existing Magenta TV customers get a slight discount, at €9.95 per month

Due to regional restrictions, you’ll need a VPN to view these channels outside of Germany.

Spain

Mediapro has the rights to show every World Cup 2022 fixture. It has previously claimed that it’ll be launching a 24/7 channel devoted to this task that would be available to every pay TV provider, however there are no further details on this just yet. Naturally, we’ll bring you more news on this as it is announced.

On the other hand, we do know that RTVE will show every match featuring the Spanish squad, as well as the final and a handful of group stage, semi-final, and quarter-final games. These will be broadcast live online via the RTVE Play service, which is free, with no account needed.

RTVE’s geographic blocking means it’s usually inaccessible outside of Spain. Spaniards traveling abroad can easily regain access with the help of a VPN.

Other locations

Didn’t see your country listed? Don’t panic: the World Cup is airing almost everywhere, so you’ll almost certainly have a suitable source somewhere. You can start by checking out the list of international World Cup broadcasters but bear in mind that some of these might require you to have a cable TV subscription to watch online.

Can I watch the FIFA World Cup abroad with a free VPN?

You might be tempted to try streaming the 2022 World Cup abroad with a free VPN but we’d advise against it. To begin with, these services are usually painfully slow and almost always have low monthly data caps, making them unsuitable for data-intensive tasks like live streaming. Further, free VPNs tend to have fairly small networks and may not even offer servers in the country you require. Even if it does, there’s no guarantee it’ll work with your chosen service.

There are security issues to consider as well. While paid VPN providers live and die by their reputation, free services have no such problem. After all, they can simply rebrand and start over if they attract too much negative attention. Free VPNs have been known to infect devices with malware and lie about their logging policies, making the risk simply too high. Instead, you’d be better off with a reputable no-logs VPN, even if it costs a little more.

Which teams qualified for the 2022 World Cup?

There are a few countries who are near-certain to secure a place in the World Cup every time it comes around. These include Brazil, France, England, the Netherlands, Germany, and Argentina. Naturally, these are often the favorites to win outright, at least in the beginning.

Because there are so many positions to fill, though, there are often a few unusual qualifications, and 2022 is no exception. Qatar was guaranteed a spot since it’s hosting the tournament, but even more surprising, Wales and Canada are competing. These countries have only had one prior World Cup appearance each, and neither was in the last 35 years.

The other big absence is Russia. Due to the country’s sports doping scandal, fans would not have been able to attend any matches and the Russian anthem would not have been played. This proved irrelevant, however, as Russia was swiftly banned from qualifying as a result of its actions in Ukraine.

Is it legal to stream the World Cup with a VPN?

Yes, it is legal to stream the World Cup with a VPN. There are no restrictions on using a VPN to watch the World Cup. You can use a VPN to connect to a server in another country and watch the games live without any issues. However, some countries like China and Russia prohibit VPN use, so if you try and stream the World Cup 2022 there you may be blocked.

Who are the favorites to win the World Cup 2022?

The World Cup 2022 favorites to win are Brazil. Behind Brazil are Argentina, France, and England.

What do the 2022 World Cup groups look like?

The World Cup sees 32 of the world’s best national soccer teams sorted into eight groups of four. Each squad then plays every other team in their group, earning points for winning or tying. Once all games have been played, the two teams in each group with the most points progress to the knockout stage.

Here’s a full list of which countries are in which 2022 World Cup group:

2022 FIFA World Cup: full schedule

Here’s is the full schedule of all 2022 World Cup fixtures: