How to Watch the 2022 World Cup in the UK and US

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar gets underway this weekend and promises to be one of the most exciting international football tournaments ever staged.

Several teams have a genuine chance of lifting the prestigious trophy including Brazil, France, Argentina, Germany, Spain and Belgium.

Fans across the world will be clamouring to find live football streams throughout the event and viewing figure records could easily be smashed.

If you are located in the United Kingdom or United States, here is our essential guide on how to watch the 2022 World Cup.

World Cup Schedule

The 2022 World Cup kicks off this weekend. Here are the key dates for each phase of the prestigious tournament:

• November 20 – World Cup begins.
• December 2 – Last group stage fixtures.
• December 3-6 – Round of 16.
• December 9-10 – Quarter-finals.
• December 13-14 – Semi-finals.
• December 17 – Third place play-off.
• December 18 – Final.

World Cup Group Stage

The opening phase of the World Cup features 32 teams which have been split into eight groups of four. These are as follows:

• Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands.
• Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales.
• Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland.
• Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia.
• Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan.
• Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia.
• Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon.
• Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea.

The top two teams in each section progress to the knockout stage. Each game from that point is a straight knockout, with extra time and penalties used to determine the outcome where necessary.

World Cup Live Streaming

Football fans in the UK and US can watch every World Cup game live via traditional television outlets or streaming platforms.

How to Watch the World Cup in the UK

The entire tournament will be broadcast for free in the UK by the BBC and ITV, with the broadcasters splitting coverage up to the final.

The BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub work across a wide range of devices including PC, laptop, smart televisions, game consoles and more.

Kick-offs are scheduled for 10.00 am, 1.00 pm, 4.00 pm and 7.00 pm GMT during the first two rounds of the group stage.

For the final round of matches in the group phase and from the round of 16 onwards, kick-off times will be 3.00 pm and 7.00 pm GMT.

The BBC will broadcast 33 live games on iPlayer, with the coverage set to be fronted by a host of former England stars including Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.

ITV have secured the rights to 32 live matches and their line-up includes Roy Keane, who is likely to provide fans with plenty of entertainment during the World Cup.

How to Watch the World Cup in the US

Coverage of the World Cup group stage in the US is split between Fox and FS1, but the former will be broadcasting every game of the knockout stage.

During the first two rounds of the group stage, kick-offs are scheduled for 5.00 am, 8.00 am, 11.00 am and 2.00 pm ET.

For the final round of group matches and throughout the knockout phase, kick-off times will be 10.00 am and 2.00 pm ET.

For fans who do not subscribe to a cable television service featuring Fox and FS1, streaming platforms such as Sling TV or fuboTV are your best bets.

While both require you to take out a subscription, each one offers discount trial periods which you can take advantage of during the World Cup.

There are also plenty of other live soccer streams available to US fans, which can be accessed by downloading reliable Virtual Private Network (VPN) software.

World Cup Preview – UK & US

Now we have shown you how to watch the World Cup in the UK and US, you will probably want to know when your local teams will be playing.

England, Wales and the US have been drawn in Group B alongside Iran and the schedule of fixtures is as follows:

• Monday, November 21 (1.00 pm) – England vs Iran
• Monday, November 21 (7.00 pm) – USA vs Wales
• Friday, November 25 (10.00 am) – Wales vs Iran
• Friday, November 25 (7.00 pm) – England vs USA
• Tuesday, November 29 (7.00 pm) – Wales vs England
• Tuesday, November 29 (7.00 pm) – Iran vs USA

The Three Lions are favourites to top the group, but it would be a brave move to back them to achieve the feat given their recent form.

The have not won in their last six international fixtures and would do well not to underestimate their opponents in the group.

Iran have never reached the knockout phase but are difficult to break down, while the US have plenty of talented players at their disposal.

With Wales eager to embarrass their neighbours, Group B is undoubtedly one of the toughest opening phase sections to predict.