Football fans globally are gearing up for the biggest event in the football world, the FIFA World Cup 2022. Each match has a different flavor and provides its viewers with a magical experience. Broadcasting rights have already been acquired by television channels and OTT platforms, and they have laid out their subscription plans. Now not everyone can pay such high subscription fees to watch the World Cup matches. Will they then be prohibited from watching these games, missing out on all the fun?
The simple answer is “no.” Many legitimate websites will live stream the matches, and fans can easily watch the games there. Though these websites sometimes geo-block the matches, you can easily obscure your IP address and physical location by using the appropriate VPN (Virtual Private Network) to stream matches from anywhere around the world. If you are one of those who wants to watch the World Cup matches on free live-streaming websites, then read on to know more about the websites.
10 Free Live Streaming Websites
After thorough research on the internet, here is the list of the 10 best legitimate websites that will live stream the World Cup matches:
JioCinema
An offshoot of Viacom18, JioCinema is an Indian streaming service that will cover all 64 matches of the World Cup. Generally, it costs Rs. 149 ($1.80 approx.) on a monthly basis for its premium service, but all the World Cup games will be shown for free without any advertisements. The platform is known for its wide range of language support, which includes English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and Malayalam, and provides quality coverage in HD. There are only two drawbacks to using this platform: firstly, the matches can only be seen on mobile phones and tablets. Secondly, to acquire the service of JioCinema, you will require an Indian SIM card during the time of verification. The compatible VPNs for using JioCinema are PIA, ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, and NordVPN.
SBS On Demand
If you are a football fan, then you must have heard the fabulous commentary of Martin Tyler. SBS On Demand is an Australian content platform where the legendary commentator will host the games, along with studio and pitchside pundits. All 64 games will be broadcast in HD quality but will have advertisements. The commentary language will be English, and the best-suited VPNs for SBS On Demand are NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN. You can also watch classic matches from the past on this website. Depending on the location of the viewer, speed drops occur, which often lead to buffering and streaming issues with SBS On Demand.
ITVX
ITVX is a UK-based free streaming platform that will only broadcast 32 games. The platform offers some of the best commentary and punditry experts and can be accessed from any device. The best part about this platform is that its VPN blocks are mostly ineffective, and the website can even be accessed using free VPNs such as ZoogVPN and TunnelBear. The commentary language is English, and unfortunately, no other options are available. The website often lags when a match has high viewership and shows advertisements during matches. The user interface is modest, but a bit confusing, and the resolution is low when compared to other websites.
Peacock
If you love watching football games with Spanish commentary, then Peacock is the best platform for you. An offshoot of NBC, you can opt for the Telemundo channel in Peacock, which will live stream all 64 matches of the World Cup in 1080p resolution at 60 fps. Pre, mid, and post-match analysis will be provided by the best Spanish experts and pundits, and the matches can be viewed on any device. ProtonVPN, IPVanish, CyberGhost, and NordVPN are some of the most compatible VPNs for this website. The platform offers a 7-day free trial where you can only watch 12 matches for free. After that, it requires a paid subscription of $4.99 (Rs. 406) every month, which is great value for money if you compare it with other paid streaming websites. Signing up for Peacock requires either a US payment method or an international credit card.
BBC iPlayer
From the perspective of watching football matches, BBC iPlayer is one of the best websites one can get their hands on. The platform telecasts each match in 4K UHD with no advertisements and fabulous English commentary and punditry. On testing, it showed that it is compatible with multiple VPNs, which include Surfshark, ExpressVPN, PIA, Proton, Windscriber Free, and NordVPN, among many others. Not only does it have Football Focus, Match of the Day, and The Football News Show, but it also caters to its audience with other in-demand content. The platform covers 50% of the matches, which is its only downside, though you can easily watch the other 50% using different websites available in this list.
TDM
TDM, a Macau-based free online platform, has the rights to broadcast all 64 World Cup matches. The website is simple and straightforward and offers a modest user experience. The live streams are not of standard quality and often buffer before loading a video. It is not compatible with most VPNs but offers services on both smartphones and desktops. The only highlight of this platform is that it offers a commentary of the World Cup matches simultaneously in Portuguese and Chinese.
RaiPlay
If you are someone who is looking for Italian commentary and 64 free live-streamed World Cup matches, then RaiPlay is your destination. Provided by Italy’s public TV service, the website seamlessly runs on Android, Windows, iOS, and Fire TV. No sign-up will be required to watch the games, and the platform supports a variety of VPNs, which include NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost, among many others. The major downsides of RaiPlay are that it broadcasts in SD quality and has buffering issues. During high viewership, the website sometimes crashes, and it may take a few minutes to broadcast again.
RTVE Play
Provided by Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE Play will broadcast all the Spain fixtures with Spanish commentary. You will not be required to create an account or provide personal information to watch these games. The website can be accessed using a variety of VPNs and runs smoothly on all devices. The major drawback is that it will only cover a limited number of games. For accessing all the games with Spanish commentary, you can opt for Peacock.
RTBF Auvio
RTBF Auvio is the place you should check out if you prefer French commentary and want to watch a free live stream in HD quality. The platform provides organized content without buffering and is accessible via Android, iOS, and FireTV. The compatible VPNs for this website include ProtonVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN, and IPVanish. Though it will live stream all the matches, it requires an email address, ZIP code, and password. Lengthy advertisement breaks and the inability to run on Apple TV, Smart TV, and Chromecast are some points that must be kept in mind if you wish to use this website.
Tubi
There is a reason that Tubi is last on this list. A notable free streaming service provided by Fox, Tubi, will not offer live streaming. It will provide full match replays of all 64 games of the World Cup. The platform has a dedicated World Cup channel, and the contents are assembled in an organized manner. While watching the replays, the platform has three minutes of unskippable advertisements after every 30 minutes, which can be a bit frustrating. The platform supports multiple VPNs and does not require personal details while signing up. This platform is best suited for users who missed the match due to some kind of engagement.
Conclusion
Many other websites will host the FIFA World Cup for free and allow you to watch live-streamed matches. But research shows that most of them have unlicensed content, infectious malware, or invasive advertisements that can be harmful. Some of those websites include Wiziwig, Hesgoal, Totalsportek, and Reddit Soccer Streams, among many others. There is no doubt that the 10 websites on this list have many shortcomings, and you will need to accommodate and compromise on a few features while watching the games, but they are safe and will host legal content, which can only be accessed using a VPN.
See more: Most Useful Technical Innovations That You Should Look Out For At Qatar World Cup
