World Cup 2022 live stream: how to watch on your PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles from anywhere

We've take a break from FIFA 23 as all eyes turn to Qatar for the World Cup 2022 until December 6. But that doesn't mean you need to put down the gamepad completely. You might well want to watch a World Cup 2022 live stream through your games console and why not? There are PS5 and Xbox Series X video streaming apps available to do the job and will allow you to tune into coverage from all over the world. Read on as we break down how to watch the World Cup on your PS5 and Xbox Series X no matter where you are.

After 16 years, is the European stranglehold on the World Cup finally about to falter? If there's one team capable of eclipsing the ludicrously talent-stacked Brazil side led by Neymar, it's this Argentina group which, at long last, looks ready to realize its full potential just in time for Lionel Messi's final hurrah. But football constantly defies logic, especially in the tinderbox of an international tournament.

That's not to say that the likes of England, France, Germany, and Spain possess weaker squads, but the Qatar factor is a big question mark. Despite his recent missteps, Kylian Mbappe is arguably the finest footballer on the planet, but few would deny that the France team he's a part of can perform like less than the sum of its parts. They labored their way to glory in Russia four years ago, but reigning World Cup champions rarely have a happy time of it the next time around.

Squad harmony is the challenge for Portugal too, who have one of the most promising collection of players on paper, but one that's in thrall to Cristiano Ronaldo, and an unhappy Cristiano Ronaldo at that. Team spirit isn't the issue for Belgium or England, but big-game mentality is, while Spain and Germany shouldn't be underestimated despite a poor few years. 

With the World Cup squad news beginning to roll out, we should have a better idea of how things look soon. Worth watching out for in case you have any of those players in your FUT collection.

So many games and such a short space of time. Looking to get your World Cup 2022 fix through your games console? You've come to the right place.

Can I watch the World Cup on my PS5 or Xbox Series X?

There are plenty of ways that you can watch the World Cup on your PS5 or Xbox Series X, and in many cases, you'll be able to tune in on older generation console too. Be warned though, some TV platform and games console combinations work better together than others. We've all the details you need on that just below.

Wherever you're based and whichever games console you use, you'll first need to register an account with the streaming service you want use for your World Cup 2022 live stream – even if it's free. 

World Cup 2022 live stream: what channels do I need?

In the UK, US and Australia, coverage of the World Cup is being split between two channels. These are as follows:

UK - BBC One, ITV1 (FREE)
US - Fox, FS1
Australia - SBS, SBS Viceland (FREE)

Get your regular World Cup 2022 free live stream with a VPN from anywhere in the world while travelling abroad. Full details just below.

How to watch World Cup 2022 from anywhere

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If you're away from home at any point during the World Cup, a VPN is your best option for tuning in. A VPN gets around geo-restrictions, allowing you to access your chosen World Cup live stream. Try it for 30 days and get your money back if you're not happy.

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How to use a VPN

There are three steps to follow:

1: Get a VPN installed. There are plenty of options, but we'd point you in the direction of ExpressVPN. There's even an offer on right now where you can get an additional three months FREE on a 12-month package and save 49%. As there isn’t a dedicated ExpressVPN app for the PS5 or Xbox Series X, you'll have to do a bit of fiddling to get up and running. It's well worth the effort!

i) If you're a Windows PC user, we'd recommend setting up a virtual router on your PC to share a VPN connection with your PS5 or Xbox Series X, similar to the way a mobile hotspot works. You'll find step-by-step instructions here.

ii) A simpler way to access content from overseas on your PS5 or Xbox Series X is via MediaStreamer, though you'll miss out on ExpressVPN's privacy features. Full instructions here.

iii) Alternatively, you can set up ExpressVPN on your router. This requires more effort and a compatible router, but it's the most thorough solution of the three. Full instructions here.

2: Connect to an appropriate server. Select a server located in the country of your choice and in the blink of an eye your PS5 or Xbox Series X will be there. If there's any sniff of an issue, Express's handy 24/7 live chat customer support can come to your rescue.

3: Fire up the service you want. All that's left to do is open the streaming app you want to use, sign up as normal or log in, and start watching. And if you don't get on as you'd hoped, you can always cancel without issue within 30 days for a full refund. Easy!

World Cup 2022 live stream: how to watch on PS5

BBC
You can use your PS5 to live stream every World Cup game that's being shown on the BBC simply by downloading the free BBC iPlayer app from the PlayStation Store. You can even watch all of the World Cup 2022 games in 4K HDR through the iPlayer app on the PS5. The app is also supported on the PS4 but not the 4K streams. It's HD only on the older gen model.

Unfortunately, there's no 4K coverage for the ITV games and no dedicated ITV Hub app for PlayStation at all, but there are a couple of workarounds that will let you live stream ITV on PlayStation consoles.

It can be done via the Sky Go app and the Now TV app, both of which are available on the PS5 and the PS4. The big caveat, however, is that ITV Hub is free but both Sky Go and Now TV require a subscription fee.

You could also try your luck with the little-known inbuilt PlayStation web browser but be warned that it's fiddly, far from reliable, and laden with peculiarities.

Fox / FS1
Watching Fox and FS1 on your PlayStation isn't as straightforward as you might have thought, as the console isn't compatible with the Fox Now app or the Fox Sports app. Nor does PlayStation feature apps from popular cable companies or the OTT streamers Sling TV and FuboTV.

There are two cord-cutting services, however, that include Fox and FS1 and offer dedicated apps for both the PS5 and PS4.

Hulu + Live TV - from $69.99 per month
YouTube TV - $64.99 per month after FREE trial

SBS
SBS On Demand doesn't offer a dedicated PlayStation app, but you can live stream SBS and SBS Viceland on the PS3, PS4 and PS4 Pro via the Foxtel Now app. Of course, the major caveat is that SBS On Demand is free but Foxtel Now isn't.

You could also try your luck with the PlayStation web browser, but as mentioned above, it's a bit of a long shot.

World Cup 2022 live stream: how to watch on Xbox Series X

BBC
To live stream every game of the World Cup 2022 on your Xbox Series X, all you need to do is download the free BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub apps from the Microsoft Store. However, it's worth bearing in mind that ITV Hub will soon be rebranded as ITVX. 

Both apps are compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X models but there's no 4K coverage of the games through either for the Xbox.

Fox / FS1
If you have Fox on cable, you can live stream World Cup games on your Xbox Series X via the free-to-download Fox Now app, which works on Xbox One models. Similarly, the free-to-download Fox Sports app will let you live-stream games being televised by FS1 on your Xbox One console.

However, if you don't have Fox or FS1, they're both offered by a variety of excellent cable replacement services:

Sling TV - $35 per month, first month half-price FuboTV - from $69.99 per month after 7-day FREE trial
Hulu + Live TV - from $69.99 per month
YouTube TV - $64.99 per month after FREE trial

All four services have free-to-download dedicated apps for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One models.

SBS
You can live stream every game of the World Cup on SBS On Demand but, unfortunately, the live streaming service doesn't have an Xbox app. There is a workaround though.

You can access SBS On Demand via the Xbox web browser instead, then login as usual and stream every game for free.

World Cup 2022 fixtures

(All times GMT. Subtract 5 hours for ET. Add 11 hours for AEDT)

GROUP STAGE

Tuesday 29th November
3pm - Ecuador vs Senegal
3pm - Netherlands vs Qatar
7pm - Iran vs United States
7pm - Wales vs England

Wednesday 30th November
3pm - Tunisia vs France
3pm - Australia vs Denmark
7pm - Poland vs Argentina
7pm - Saudi Arabia vs Mexico

Thursday 1st December
3pm - Canada vs Morocco
3pm - Croatia vs Belgium
7pm - Japan vs Spain
7pm - Costa Rica vs Germany

Friday 2nd December
3pm - Ghana vs Uruguay
3pm - South Korea vs Portugal
7pm - Serbia vs Switzerland
7pm - Cameroon vs Brazil

ROUND OF 16

Saturday 3rd December
3pm - A1 vs B2
7pm - C1 vs D2

Sunday 4th December
3pm - B1 vs A2
7pm - D1 vs C2

Monday 5th December
3pm - E1 vs F2
7pm - G1 vs H2

Tuesday 6th December
3pm - F1 vs E2
7pm - H1 vs G2

QUARTER-FINALS

Friday 9th December
3pm - Quarter-Final 1
7pm - Quarter-Final 2

Saturday 10th December
3pm - Quarter-Final 3
7pm - Quarter-Final 4

SEMI-FINALS

Tuesday 13th December
7pm - Semi-Final 1

Wednesday 14th December
7pm - Semi-Final 2

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF

Saturday 17th December
3pm - Third-Place Playoff

2022 WORLD CUP FINAL

Sunday 18th December
3pm - World Cup Final

For more sporting coverage, check out our guide to the ESPN Plus price as well as all the latest updates on Hulu free trials and Peacock TV costs.