How to watch the International Champions Cup live online

The International Champions Cup gives soccer’s top international teams a way to prepare for the upcoming season. Today, we’ll explain how you can stream every International Champions Cup game for free online. What’s more, we’ll show how a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can unblock streams from the UK, the US, Germany, Spain, or any other country in the world so you can bypass regional restrictions and watch this tournament from abroad.

Note that we’ll only be recommending official sources. While there will almost certainly be unlicensed International Champions Cup live streams available, these are often unreliable and prone to cutting out mid-match. With several legitimate ways to watch, there’s really nothing to be gained from using unofficial sources.

International Champions Cup streaming: Use a VPN

If you’re currently outside of your country and looking to stream content from back home, a VPN is an invaluable tool. It allows you to spoof your location, tricking websites into believing you’re actually somewhere different. By doing so, you bypass the site’s geo-restrictions and can use the site as normal.

Dec 2024

We recommend using ExpressVPN to stream the 2018 International Champions Cup. It offers a wide range of security features, provides exceptional unblocking capabilities, and is fast enough to stream live HD video with no lag or noticeable buffering. It’s super simple to set up; just choose a one month, six month, or one year plan and submit your payment.

BEST VPN FOR STREAMING THE International Champions Cup:ExpressVPN is our #1 Choice. With a vast server network that is optimized for high-speed connections, it’s perfect for watching the International Champions 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 ExpressVPN review.

How to watch the International Champions Cup with a VPN

Using a VPN to stream this tournament couldn’t be simpler. Here’s how to watch the International Champions Cup with a VPN:

1. Sign up for a streaming-focused VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN, but NordVPN and CyberGhost are strong, low-cost alternatives.
2. Download and install the VPN software. There are usually a few different options, so be sure to choose the correct version for your operating system.
3. Decide which of the sources below you’d like to use.
4. Connect to one of your VPN’s servers in the appropriate location (e.g. Germany for Sport1 or Italy for Sky Italia).
5. Try streaming video from the site. It should load quickly, without any error messages appearing.

Where can I watch the International Champions Cup online?

As you might expect, with teams from various European nations competing, the International Champions Cup will be shown in several different countries. Below you’ll find a guide explaining how you can watch this tournament wherever you are in the world.

UK

Premier Sports is the only broadcaster in the UK showing this tournament live online. There are two packages available: one at £9.99 a month which offers live streams and on-demand content from the last seven days, and a second for £11.99 a month with full access to every previously aired event.

Both packages allow you to watch games live on the Premier Player app, although it’s currently only available for iOS devices. If you already subscribe to Premier Sports via Sky TV, you can watch online at no added cost.

This service will show 23 of the tournament’s fixtures live, with the remaining four shown on-demand shortly after they finish.

USA

American audiences can catch the entire event on ESPN. This network will show every fixture live, as well as the first women’s International Champions Cup final. Further, each game will be available live, with Spanish commentary, on ESPN Deportes.

To watch online, you’ll need ESPN+. This service is free to use if your cable subscription already includes ESPN, but otherwise, costs $4.99 a month. There’s a seven-day free trial, however, so if you’re only interested in a particular team, you’ll be able to watch some of their matches without paying.

Canada

In Canada, you can stream every International Champions Cup fixture live on DAZN. This service costs $20 (CAD) a month, with an annual pass available for $150 (CAD). It also offers a one-month trial, which means you can watch the entire tournament for free. Just remember to cancel your account before your payment method is charged.

Germany

German viewers can watch this event for free in German on Sport1 or the Onefootball app (not the website, unfortunately). However, while both of these platforms have coverage of almost every International Champions Cup match, you won’t be able to stream the very first game between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund on either.

We experienced an issue where we were unable to navigate the Sport1 website when connected to a VPN, as it had incorrectly identified us as using an ad-blocker. This problem can be resolved by turning off your VPN, going to the live stream page, reconnecting, and reloading the page.

Italy

Sky Italia is Italy’s only official International Champions Cup broadcaster. It will air live coverage of each fixture both on cable TV and online via Sky Go. Note that while foreigners can register for a Sky Italia account, you’ll need an Italian social security number and an existing Sky subscription in order to watch anything online.

Spain

Spanish soccer fans will be able to watch every single fixture in Spanish on beIN Sports Connect. To watch the International Champions Cup, it costs €9.99 a month, although more expensive packages are available if you’d like to watch non-sporting content as well.

By signing up for this service, you’ll also be able to watch directly on your phone or tablet. As such, you can watch full games live, even if you’re away from home.

Other locations

There are currently no official broadcasters in any country other than those listed above. That said, we found that during the World Cup, new broadcasting deals were made frequently as the tournament progressed. While France and Portugal, for example, have no International Champions Cup coverage, if their respective teams do well, you might find that national broadcasters start showing their fixtures.

International Champions Cup soccer FAQs

When does the International Champions Cup tournament start and end?

This tournament begins with Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund on July 21 and finishes with Atlético de Madrid vs. Internazionale on August 11. Remember: this is an international tournament, so some of the fixtures might start very early in the morning in your location. As a result, you might want to consider using a source which offers full on-demand match replays as well as live streams.

For more details, you can check out the complete International Champions Cup schedule.

How does the International Champions Cup tournament work?

In some ways, the International Champions Cup is similar to the FIFA World Cup group stages: teams are sorted into groups, with each team playing every other in their respective group. However, there’s one major difference: no game can end in a tie.

Instead, if two teams are tied at the end of extra time, they’ll go to penalties. A win resulting from a penalty shootout is worth two points instead of three, and a loss from penalties is worth one point instead of zero.

Unlike the World Cup, there are no subsequent knockout stages. The team with the most points overall wins the tournament. If multiple teams have the same number of points, a winner is crowned by examining their head-to-head performance and the number of goals they’ve scored.

Which teams are participating?

There are 18 soccer teams participating, from six different countries. Below is a complete list of every team playing in the 2018 International Champions Cup:

• Arsenal
• Chelsea
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Lyon
• Bayern Munich
• Borussia Dortmund
• Internazionale (inter Milan)
• Juventus
• Milan
• Roma
• Benfica
• Atlético Madrid
• Barcelona
• Real Madrid

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

Header image: Liverpool vs Chelsea: International Champions Cup by vagueonthehow, licensed under CC BY 2.0.