The FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers are over and the group stage is about to begin. In this post, we’ll explain how you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to watch the Group C matches in high-definition, as they happen. You don’t even have to live in one of the competing countries; by using a VPN to bypass regional blocking, you’ll be able to access World Cup live streams online from the UK, US, Canada, or anywhere else in the world. We’ve also included a fact about each Group C team — how many of them do you know already?

High-profile sporting events almost always have unofficial streams, but we advise against using them. To begin with, they’re usually only available at lower resolutions and are prone to cutting out mid-game. Also, many countries are offering free-to-watch World Cup streams, so there’s nothing to be gained by watching unlicensed streams.

For games outside of Group C, France v Australia and Peru v Denmark, we have a more detailed guide to watching the world cup free online and there’s an alternate guide here to show where you can stream the World Cup online.

Streaming the 2018 World Cup: Use a VPN

Streaming platforms generally only have the rights to show content in specific countries or regions. As such, they often try to prevent foreign users from gaining access. However, VPNs enable you to connect to servers in other countries. By doing so, you can trick websites into believing you’re actually located somewhere you’re not. For instance, a UK server might unblock BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub while a US server could unblock FOX and beIN sports.

We recommend using ExpressVPN to stream the FIFA 2018 World Cup. It has servers all over the world, each of which is fast enough to stream live HD video with no noticeable buffering. With a strong set of security features and a no-logs policy, ExpressVPN puts your privacy above all else. There’s even 24/7 customer support via live chat or email in case of any issues.

                    Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

Signing up for ExpressVPN is very straightforward. Just choose a subscription period (1 month, 6 months, or a year), and pay. This service comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll be able to watch most of the World Cup fixtures before deciding to keep it or not. If you find that this VPN isn’t to your liking, you can cancel it without charge during the trial period.

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

How to watch Russia World Cup Group C games with a VPN

  • Choose a reputable VPN provider. We’ve mentioned ExpressVPN already, but NordVPN and CyberGhost are both strong low-cost alternatives.
  • Choose a plan and sign up on the provider’s website.
  • Download the VPN client, making sure to choose the correct version for your operating system.
  • Decide which source you’d like to use.
  • Connect to a VPN server in the appropriate location.
  • Try to watch something on the source’s site. The content should load without any issues.

Watching World Cup Group C games from a competing country

As you might expect, most of the countries that have made it to the group stages are eager to show their national team winning the World Cup. As such, it’s fairly simple to watch each game from inside one of the participating countries.

France

You can watch 28 of the World Cup’s 64 games for free on TF1. It’ll be showing every match that the French team play in, as well as 18 other prime-time games over the course of the tournament. French viewers looking to catch every game live can sign up to beIN Sports Connect. Prices start at €14 per month, and there’s a €15 package that doesn’t require you to sign a year-long contract.

TF1 and beIN Sports Connect will both be providing French commentary.

Did you know? French striker Zindine Zidane infamously head-butted an Italian defender during the 2006 World Cup final. This incident inspired a song, Coup de Boule, which went on to top the French charts.

Australia

SBS plans to show 25 matches for free, including every game featuring the Australian national team. While the SBS website does occasionally host live streams, it’s unclear as yet whether it’ll be showing the World Cup online or just on TV.

Optus Sport will be streaming all 64 games, but they’ll only be available to subscribers. Some Optus plans include Optus Sport for free, but if yours doesn’t, or you’re not an Optus customer, you can purchase a monthly subscription for A$15per month.

All games shown on SBS and Optus Sport will feature English commentary.

Interesting stat: In 2001, Australia’s national team set the record for most goals scored in an international match by beating American Samoa 31-0.

Denmark

The rights to show 2018 World Cup games in Denmark are shared between TV2 and DR. DR can be watched for free, but TV2 requires a subscription to watch online. Packages start at 39kr per month, and include access to 4K streams.

Both TV2 and DR will have Danish commentary.

Fun fact: Denmark traditionally prefer a short-range game. In fact, every goal they’ve ever scored in a World Cup tournament has been from inside the box.

Peru

DirecTV will be showing every World Cup game in Peru. Subscriptions start at S/.139, but for S/.179, you can unlock 4K streams and some additional channels. Latina also has World Cup broadcast rights, although there are no details as to whether the games will be shown online or not.

DirecTV and Latina will be showing 2018 World Cup matches with Spanish commentary.

A little trivia: This is the first time in 36 years that Peru has qualified for the World Cup. Could this be the year they win?

Watching World Cup Group C games from abroad

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast in more than one hundred countries across the world. As such, it should be fairly easy to find your region’s official broadcaster. If you’d like to watch in a language other than English, you might like to consult our 2018 World Cup multi-language commentary guide. Below you’ll find details of official broadcasters for a few select regions.

UK

BBC and ITV are the UK’s official World Cup broadcasters, with each showing roughly half of all matches. Both the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub are free to use. For BBC iPlayer, you may be asked if you have a valid UK TV License, but this appears to run on an honour system.

It should be noted that the BBC have been blocking VPNs more aggressively of late. There are only a few services left which can unblock the iPlayer, so it’s worth confirming this with the VPN’s customer support team before signing up.

All ITV and BBC commentary will be in English.

USA

FOX Sports and Telemundo Deportes are the official World Cup 2018 broadcasters in the US. FOX is offering a monthly soccer pass for $19.99, but check to see if FOX is included in your Sling TV or cable subscription first. If so, you can watch online at no extra cost.

Telemundo Deportes will be showing its games via NBC Sports. This is also a subscription service, but there isn’t currently a World Cup pass available. This will likely be announced as we draw closer to the first group game.

FOX Sports will have English commentary, while Telemundo Deportes will have Spanish.

 

Canada

RDS, CTV, and TSN will all be showing the entire 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, you’ll have to sign in with your cable provider credentials before you can watch anything online. Unfortunately, there’s no option to watch online without a cable subscription.

RDS will have French commentary. CTV and TSN will be in English.

Russia World Cup 2018: Group C Fixtures

Each team will play three matches; one against each other team in the group. This means that there’ll be a total of six games, spread out over three days. Up-to-date details on future games can be found on the official World Cup schedule page.

Why should I use a VPN if my country has a free World Cup stream?

While VPNs can be used to bypass regional blocking, their primary purpose is to encrypt your data, preventing anyone from seeing what you do online. This protects you from the majority of man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can’t sell details of your activities to third parties. Also, if your ISP doesn’t know you’re streaming, it’s far less likely that they’ll throttle your network speeds.

How does the World Cup work?

In 2015, all 209 eligible countries entered their national teams into a knockout tournament. When this finished, 32 teams remained. These were then randomly sorted into eight groups of four, named Group A to Group H.

We’re now entering the group stage. This is where each team plays against all the others in their group. Points are granted for winning or drawing a game, and at the end of the stage, the two teams with the highest number of points can progress to the second knockout stage. This stage continues until just one team remains – the 2018 World Cup Champions.

Can I watch the World Cup 2018 games on a mobile device?

Absolutely. All of the sources we’ve mentioned in this article have apps for iOS and Android devices. Bear in mind that the mobile apps might not have the full range of functionality, however. For instance, you might be limited to 1080p video even if the web player has a 4K stream, and subtitles may not be available.

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 the local laws, victims, and risks of piracy before downloading or streaming copyrighted material without permission.