How to Watch Fifa World Cup in 2021
The Fifa World Cup only happens every four years, and when it’s held in a far-flung country, then seeing, in person, your national team playing can be tricky. The next best thing is to watch the action unfold live on TV. The rise of streaming via the Internet has a huge foothold in the world of sports – but there can still be challenges.
What happens if you’re away from home or your home country isn’t showing live coverage? Live sports events like the world cup can be affected by geo-restrictions due to broadcast rights – but the good news is that with the help of a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you can bypass the blocks and stream every match.
Not all VPNs can get around geo-blocks to enable you to watch every Fifa World Cup match live – I’ve tested over 30 different VPNs and found only a few that could unblock streaming services reliably and without a big drop in speeds. Out of those, I found ExpressVPN to be the best. It has 3000 servers in 94 countries, giving you the best chance of being able to access the World Cup broadcasts.
ExpressVPN is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk free, and if it’s not right for you, you can ask for a refund, no questions asked!
Watch the Fifa World Cup 2021 Live with ExpressVPNHow a VPN Helps You Watch the Fifa World Cup
Big networks like Fox Sports in the US and ITV and BBC in the UK will offer live streaming of many matches via their websites. Both ITV and BBC have ‘player’ apps that allow you to watch the matches on the personal device of your choice for no charge. The caveat is that you have to have a UK IP address to initiate the live feed on either one. If you don’t, you’ll get an error message and have no idea how your side is doing on the pitch.
If you don’t live in the UK, this is obviously quite a problem, but one with a manageable solution as well. The way to emulate the IP of another country is to use a virtual private network (VPN) service. A VPN is often used to protect your information when using the Internet but can also be used to access content that is blocked based on what country you are in.
When put into use, a VPN creates a secure ‘tunnel’ between your computer and a remote server, typically located in another country. The tunnel encrypts all your information and sends it to a remote server, home of the VPN. once there, the messages is decrypted and your requests are sent on to the Internet. The reverse happens as well: The data is sent to the VPN server and there encrypted before zooming through the secure tunnel back to your computer.
Watch the Fifa World Cup With ExpressVPNWays to Stream the Fifa World Cup With a VPN
Live Streaming with KODI via VPN
KODI is the open-source software that can be installed on a TV running Amazon Fire TV. KODI has a direct deal with BBC, ITV, and Fox Sports to broadcast the World Cup. KODI can live stream the same networks, but will be blocked from use without a VPN in place to match up its IP address to one in an approved country. Some VPNs have a free trial that you could sign up for, thus never having to actually pay for a subscription while still watching the entirety of the World Cup on your TV.
Live Streaming through XBox/PS4 with VPN
Gaming platforms XBox and PS4 are a natural fit for streaming the World Cup considering how many football fans cut their teeth on the many incarnations of video games showcasing their favorite players and teams. If you are located in the US you can use Fox Sports Go to access the American network’s football coverage. You can do likewise in the UK with the BBC iplayer or ITV player to stream the action live. If you’re in another country, you’ll still need a VPN server in place to convince those networks that your IP address is consistent with the protocol they are expecting to encounter during the digital handshake.
Streaming Services Showing the Fifa World Cup
| Language | Channel | Free? |
| English – Australia | Optus Sport | Free trial |
| English – Australia | SBS | Free |
| English – Canada | CTV | Requires cable |
| English – Canada | TSN | Requires cable |
| English – U.S. | FOX Sports app | Requires cable |
| English – U.S. | Fubo TV | Free trial |
| English – UK | BBC | Free |
| English – UK | ITV | Free trial |
| French – Canada | RDS | Requires cable |
| French – France | TF1 | Free |
| French – France | beIN Sports | Subscription required |
| German – Germany | ARD | Free |
| German – Germany | ZDF | Free |
| German – Germany | Sky Sport | Subscription required |
| German – Austria | ORF | Free |
| German – Switzerland | SRG SSR | Free |
| Italian | Mediaset | Free |
| Portuguese – Portugal | RTP | Free |
| Portuguese – Portugal | SIC | Free |
| Portuguese – Brazil | Globo | Subscription required |
| Portuguese – Brazil | SporTV | Subscription required |
| Portuguese – Brazil | Fox Sports | Subscription required |
| Russian | Perviy Kanal | Free |
| Russian | VGTRK | Free |
| Russian | Match TV | Free |
| Spanish – Argentina | TV Pública | Free |
| Spanish – Argentina | DirecTV | Subscription required |
| Spanish – Argentina | TyC Sports | Subscription required |
| Spanish – U.S. | Telemundo | Requires cable |
| Spanish – Spain | Mediaset España Telecinco | Free |
| Spanish – Spain | Mediaset España Cuatro | Free |
| Danish | DR | Free |
| Dutch | NOS | Free |
| Arabic | beIN Sports | Subscription required |
| Arabic | KAN 11 | Free |
| Arabic | MAKAN 33 | Free |
| Bengali | BTV | Free |
| Bengali | Nagorik TV | Subscription required |
| Hindi | Sony Pictures Networks | Subscription required |
Beware of Illegal Streaming Sites
There will always be “off the books” sites set up to stream games and this is a choice you can make, but there are plenty of negatives. These live feeds lack the quality of the professional broadcast and usually are just a camera, no audio or commentary. Most are on sites designed to garner your information, often with annoying popup ads that will collect data when you ‘X’ them out. Very rarely do these sites stay up for more than a day or two.
