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The world’s biggest sports event is just around the corner with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicking off on Nov. 20. But if you’re looking to join the excitement and watch the World Cup from the U.S., you’ll need to dial in your streaming setup before the first match.
Below, we’ve outlined the best ways to watch the world cup online in 2022, including how to get a World Cup live stream for free online using a VPN.
How to Watch the World Cup Online Free
The best way to watch the World Cup online for free is to access a free live stream in another country with a virtual private network (VPN) like ExpressVPN.
If you’re unfamiliar, VPNs are browser extensions or apps that “trick” your device into thinking it’s in another region, letting you access websites and streaming services only available in other areas. They’re safe, reliable, and easy to use, and the best VPNs aren’t expensive.
To live stream the World Cup for free with a VPN, first sign up for ExpressVPN and add it to your web browser. Then, set the location to a location in the U.K. and you’ll be able to watch English-language broadcasts of every World Cup game for free on BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub. Alternatively, you can also set your location to somewhere in Australia and watch every game for free on the country’s SBS streaming platform.
ExpressVPN costs $12.95 a month if you pay month-to-month, or $6.67 a month if you pay for a year upfront. With either plan, you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you could watch the whole World Cup and then get your $12.95 back after the event concludes.
How to Watch the World Cup Online: Live Stream Soccer in the U.S.
If you don’t want to go the VPN route, there are still plenty of options to watch the World Cup online in the U.S. Here are three of the best — some of which even get you free World Cup live streams for certain games.
1. Stream the World Cup on Peacock
NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, will offer live streams of all 64 World Cup matches. The first 12 matches will be available to watch with Peacock’s free subscription tier, and the rest will require a Premium subscription (which only costs $4.99 per month). However, there is a catch with Peacock: their World Cup live streams are simulstreams of Telemundo Deportes, so the commentary is in Spanish.
2. Stream the World Cup on fuboTV
A great way to watch the World Cup online in the U.S. (with English commentary) is by getting a live TV streaming service like fuboTV. Fox and FS1 — the two channels with English World Cup coverage in the U.S. — are both included in fuboTV’s extensive channel lineup, so you can watch every game live online.
fuboTV costs $69.99 per month, but starts with a seven-day free trial before you pay. Plus, you get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage, which is very useful for catching the few World Cup games that happen early in the morning, U.S. time.
3. Stream the World Cup on Sling
Another great live TV streaming service that will get you World Cup live streams online is Sling. At $40 a month (currently discounted to $20 for your first month), Sling is the cheapest live TV streaming service that still delivers a ton of popular channels. The service’s Blue package boasts 41 channels, including Fox and FS1 to watch the world cup live online.
When Is the World Cup? 2022 World Cup Schedule
The FIFA World Cup starts on Nov. 20 with Qatar vs. Ecuador at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT, and culminates in the final on Dec. 18.
Before then, sign up for ExpressVPN to watch the World Cup online for free, or sign up for one of the above streaming services to get U.S. live streams online.
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