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Today, after four years of waiting, it’s once again time to crown one nation World Cup champions.
And the competition couldn’t be more fierce: On one side of the field is longtime soccer superpower Argentina, captained by one of the best players of all time, Lionel Messi, who stated that this will be his last World Cup appearance. On the other side is reigning World Cup champions France, whose 23-year-old star forward Kylian Mbappé has stolen the spotlight this tournament with five goals (the same as Messi). In short, we’re in for a magnetic World Cup finale that’s well worth waking up for here in the U.S. (even if your team is eliminated).
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Below, we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways to watch the World Cup final online — including a couple of options that let you stream Argentina vs. France for free — plus key match details such as start time, betting odds, and referee selection.
How to Watch World Cup Final Online Free With a VPN
If you have a VPN on your streaming device, you’re in luck: BBC iPlayer is live streaming the match for free. Just set your VPN’s location to the U.K., head to BBC iPlayer, and you’ll be able to watch the World Cup final online for free.
For the unfamiliar, VPNs (virtual private networks) are services that let you virtually change your device’s location to access content that’s not available in your physical location (e.g. BBC iPlayer in the U.S.). Some VPNs even work with streaming services like Netflix, letting you access different countries’ streaming libraries (which sometimes offer content that’s not in the same streamer’s U.S. library).
If you want to use a VPN to get a free World Cup live stream, we recommend ExpressVPN or NordVPN. They’re two of our favorite VPNs thanks to their reliability, speed, and massive server selections, letting you watch content all over the world. ExpressVPN costs $12.95 a month and NordVPN costs $11.99 a month, but both offer 30-day money-back guarantees that you can take advantage of once the World Cup final is over.
Once you’ve installed either ExpressVPN or NordVPN, you’ll be able to watch the World Cup final online for free through the U.K.’s BBC iPlayer.
How to Watch World Cup Final Online: U.S. Live Streams
Don’t want to go the VPN route? Read on. Below are some of the best U.S. streaming services with Fox and/or Telemundo that you can use to watch Argentina vs. France online. A couple of the options below (fuboTV and DirecTV Stream) also offer free trials which you can use to watch the World Cup final online for free.
1. Stream Argentina vs. France on fuboTV
Our favorite streaming service for anyone looking to watch the World Cup final online is fuboTV, which includes Fox as part of its extensive live TV channel lineup. Best of all, fuboTV starts with a seven-day free trial that you can use to live stream the World Cup final for free. After the free trial, the monthly price is $69.99, but you can cancel within seven days to avoid any charges.
2. Stream Argentina vs. France on DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is another great live TV service that includes Fox, letting you watch Argentina vs. France online. DirecTV Stream normally costs $69.99 a month, but it also starts with a free trial that lasts five days. This means you can sign up for DirecTV Stream now and watch the World Cup final online for free today if you cancel within the next five days.
3. Stream Argentina vs. France on Peacock
For Spanish-speaking World Cup viewers, Peacock is a great deal. The NBC streaming service is showing Telemundo simulcasts of the big game, and a subscription is very affordable at just $4.99 per month.
When is World Cup Final? Date, Start Time
The World Cup final between Argentina and France is happening today, Sunday, Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. For West Coast viewers looking to catch the game at a more reasonable hour, we suggest using the DVR features included with both fuboTV and DirecTV Stream.
World Cup Final: Argentina vs. France Odds, Prediction, Referees
Argentina and France entered the 2022 World Cup with high expectations from fans and experts. Both teams lived up to those expectations with spectacular performances against almost every opponent (save for Argentina’s wild upset loss to Saudi Arabia in the group stage), largely thanks to their respective stars: Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
Luckily for us fans, the two powerhouse teams are an incredibly even matchup. Betting odds are currently -112 to Argentina and -104 to France, which essentially means Vegas is giving both teams an equal likelihood of hoisting the trophy.
For those curious about officiation at today’s game, the World Cup final will be refereed by Szymon Marciniak of Poland.
Be sure to get a VPN or sign up for one of the above streaming services to watch the World Cup final between Argentina and France today.