Sharing an awesome infographic for streaming the World Cup for West Wales Chronicle Team

Want to stream the World Cup online? You’re going to need a VPN

After months of hype, the 2018 World Cup is looking to kick off with a bang. With 32 teams around the world (Sorry America, maybe next time), it’ll be interesting to see whether Germany has what it takes to defend the crown. If you don’t have cable and are looking for some streaming tips, check out this all-inclusive guide for where to watch 2018 soccer World Cup online in HD.

First, get a VPN

As the single most-watched sporting event in the world, the World Cup isn’t shy of streaming options. That said, some choices may be better than others. In the U.S., FOX Sports has sole broadcasting rights. With access to all 64 games, they’re offering comprehensive coverage both on TV and online. Unfortunately, you need a valid cable subscription in order to stream.

That’s where VPNs (virtual private networks) come in. A VPN acts as your VIP ticket to live World Cup streams around the globe. Want to know the best part? You can catch HD streams for free when you connect to the right location.

How a VPN lets you stream live sports

When you use a VPN, you’re able to hide your real location while you connect to another “virtual” location. Most VPN providers offer dedicated apps for both mobile and desktop devices, so all you have to do is sign up, download your specified app, and connect to wherever you want to stream.

It may sound somewhat complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. Everything you do online is connected to your IP address, which is the physical address your internet provider has assigned for your network. It’s how websites and services know how to redirect you to the appropriate domain. If you’ve ever tried watching Netflix from another country only to be meet with a screen saying the service is not available in your area, then you know how this works.

When you connect to a VPN server, you’re able to browse the web as if you were actually in that location. That means a person browsing in the U.S. can connect to a VPN in, say, France and access websites in French. It’s an easy way to anonymize your network, but it also works great with sports streams.

How to use a VPN to watch the World Cup

As stated earlier, the only real option to stream the World Cup in the U.S. is with FOX Sports, but if you don’t have cable, you’re basically out of options. Fortunately, you can use a VPN to connect to a server location in the UK, Canada, or even Australia and access live World Cup streams in English for free.

All you have to do is download a VPN, download the app on your device, connect to whichever country you want to stream, and then head to that country’s specified sports site. For the UK, your best option is probably the BBC. For Canada, TSN is a solid choice, and for Australia, you can either go with The World Games or the Optus Network. Note that the latter may require a subscription, but they usually offer a 14-day free trial.