Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream: how to watch 2022 World Cup playoff online for free and on TV, team news

The race for the 32nd and final place at Qatar 2022 comes down to Costa Rica vs New Zealand, an intercontinental World Cup playoff showdown that pits the best of Oceania against a team that seemingly loves to do things the hard way. Who will get their hands on the last golden ticket? Read on to find out how to get a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream today, no matter where you are in the world - including ways to watch for FREE.

It's a surprise to see Anthony Contreras, who's still searching for his first international goal, start up front instead of the comparatively prolific Johan Venegas, who's had a terrific season for Alajuelense. Luis Fernando Suárez has also opted to keep captain Bryan Ruiz in reserve, and it will be intriguing to see what happens if Los Ticos have to chase the game. Ruiz will call time on his international career if Costa Rica miss out on the World Cup, and while he's no longer the force he once was, an icon of his standing deserves a sendoff. 

It's been a while since New Zealand skipper Winston Reid last played club football, and it showed in their friendly defeat to Peru at the start of the month. The former West Ham man is in the starting lineup, however, and it could be a risky selection. Marko Stamenic has looked in recent outings, and could be a very useful resource from the bench. But there's no question who the danger man is. Chris Wood starts up front, and the All Whites will be looking to feed him at every opportunity.

Costa Rica's route to the 2022 World Cup looked fairly straightforward, but an abysmal start to their CONCACAF qualification campaign soon made every game a must-win. And boy, did they step up to the plate. Suárez's men took 19 points from their last seven games, and now stand on the brink of qualification for their third successive World Cup. Former Arsenal striker Joel Campbell and goalkeeper Keylor Navas have been the main men at both ends of the pitch.

The playoffs have been an unhappy hunting ground for the All Whites, who have been on the wrong side of the last two editions. Having had precious few opportunities to test their mettle against quality opposition, they're undoubtedly the underdogs, but Danny Hay has the perfect weapon to hurt Costa Rica with. Time after time their defense has panicked under the high ball, and Wood looks poised to play a key role today.

The winner will join Germany, Spain and Japan in Group E. Follow our guide to get a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream and watch this 2022 World Cup playoff online from anywhere.

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How to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand: live stream World Cup playoff for FREE

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The great news for football fans based in the UK is that Costa Rica vs New Zealand is set to be shown absolutely FREE on BBC iPlayer (opens in new tab) and through the BBC Red Button. 

Away from the UK right now? No worries:

Use a VPN to watch a Costa Rica vs New Zealand free live stream from abroad. (opens in new tab)

BBC iPlayer is free to watch with a valid TV licence, and works across a huge array of devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, media streaming devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast and Roku, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

The Costa Rica vs New Zealand kick-off is set for 7pm BST on Tuesday evening.

How to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand from outside your country

If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your local coverage of the game, you'll want a VPN. This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream in particular parts of the world.

They're a useful means of getting around this issue, plus they're cheap and easy to set up. Here's how it's done.

Use a VPN to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand from anywhere

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We've put all of the major VPN services to the test and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best of the bunch. It's compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use. 

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Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.

How to use a VPN

Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN.

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location e.g. UK

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - so that's BBC iPlayer (opens in new tab) if you're a UK citizen abroad right now.

How to watch Costa Rica vs All Whites: live stream World Cup playoff football in New Zealand

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Sky Sport is the place to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand in NZ, but be sure to set an early alarm, with kick-off scheduled for 6am NZST on Wednesday morning.

Sky Sport subscribers can watch the game online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a pass costs $19.99 per week or $39.99 per month. The monthly package comes with a 7-day free trial.

How to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand: live stream soccer in the US without cable

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Costa Rica vs New Zealand kicks off at 2pm ET / 11am PT on Tuesday, and is being shown exclusively on FS2 in the US, with coverage getting underway at 2pm ET / 11am PT.

If you have the channel as part of your cable package, you can also get a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream directly through the Fox Sports website (opens in new tab).

How to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand without cable

FS2 is available via the cable-cutting streamer Sling TV, as part of an $11 per month add-on to its Sling Blue package, which includes 40+ other channels, including USA Network, NFL Network and National Geographic.

The usual cost of a Sling Blue subscription is $35 per month, but you can currently get your first month of Sling TV with a $10 discount (opens in new tab). And as there's no contract, you can cancel at any time. 

Another over-the-top streaming service that includes FS2 is fuboTV. It's a much more comprehensive cable replacement, offering more than 100 other channels on plans starting from $69.99 a month. There's no long-term contract with fuboTV either.

Better still, there's a FREE 7-day FuboTV trial (opens in new tab) on offer so you can try before you buy - and cancel if you're not a fan.

How to watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand: live stream soccer in Canada

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In Canada, you can watch Costa Rica vs New Zealand on TSN, with kick-off set for 2pm ET / 11am PT on Tuesday.

If you get the channel as part of your cable deal, you'll be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream. 

If you don't have cable, you can subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis from CA$7.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.

If you decide to subscribe or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go - just try our No. 1 overall rated VPN 100% risk-free for 30-days (opens in new tab) and follow the instructions above.

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Can I watch a Costa Rica vs New Zealand live stream in Australia?