How to watch FIFA Club World Cup: live stream every 2021 fixture online anywhere

(Image credit: FIFA)

Champions League winners Bayern Munich and Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras are the star attractions at the 17th edition of the Club World Cup, which pits the winners of five continental competitions - and host nation Qatar's Al-Duhail - against each other, in order to crown one football club the best in the world. Read on to find out how to watch FIFA Club World Cup and live stream every fixture online, no matter where you are in the world today.

Watch FIFA Club World Cup live stream

Dates: Thursday, February 4 - Thursday, February 11 (2021)

Host city: Al Rayyan, Qatar

Watch FREE Club World Cup live stream: BBC iPlayer (opens in new tab)and BBC Sport (opens in new tab)

Watch anywhere: Try the No.1 rated VPN 100% risk-free (opens in new tab)

Auckland City were supposed to be the seventh club in contention, but the Navy Blues withdrew because of the pandemic, which incidentally also pushed the tournament back from its usual December slot.

By some happy quirk of fate, two of the teams in contention for the Club World Cup have the same nickname and near-identical crests. Tigres UANL - who sport one of the finest jerseys in world football - are representing Mexico, while AFC Champions League winners Ulsan Hyundai are flying the flag for South Korea. Egypt's Al Ahly complete the lineup.

The games are being played at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium and Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, both venues having been purpose-built for next year’s World Cup. European teams have traditionally dominated this competition, winning 12 of the 16 Club World Cups that have been played so far, and it's hard to look past Hansi Flick's Bundesliga goliaths, who are on the hunt for their sixth trophy in the last 12 months.

Flick has taken his full spectrum of superstars to Qatar, including Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, so don't a second of the action. Here's how to watch a FIFA Club World Cup live stream and catch every game on wherever you are in the world.

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How to watch FIFA Club World Cup football from outside your country

If you're out of the country during the Club World Cup, you'll likely find you're unable to access your usual football coverage like you would at home. This isn't necessarily cause for alarm, but rather the result of geo-blocking - best understood as digital borders that restrict certain services and content to certain parts of the world.

Fortunately, there's a convenient way around this in the form of a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. This is a nifty bit of software that lets you re-position your device of choice to a location of your choosing, thereby allowing you to globe trot and still access your preferred FIFA Club World Cup live stream. It's a completely legal workaround, very affordable, and super easy to use - allow us to explain more.

Use a VPN to watch a Club World Cup live stream from anywhere

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How to watch FIFA Club World Cup: FREE UK live stream

The BBC provided coverage of last year's tournament, which Liverpool won. And while no British participation this year means no high-profile linear TV coverage (though you'll get Red Button access for some of the bigger matches), the UK national broadcaster is still the place to watch Club World Cup matches FREE online with iPlayer! (opens in new tab)

From the opening Tigres vs Ulsan game to the final later this month, anyone located in the UK can get a 100% free Club World Cup live stream using iPlayer (opens in new tab) or the BBC Sport website (opens in new tab). Registration can be completed in a matter of moments (note you should be in possession of a valid UK TV license for digital services) and minimal personal details are required to protect your privacy.

After that, you'll have access to BBC coverage of every Club World Cup game available through your web browser and also via app for smartphones, tablets, consoles, set-top boxes, Smart TVs, streaming sticks, and more.

If you're determined to tune in, your best bet is to use a VPN (opens in new tab) to try to connect to a different country's Club World Cup coverage.

Related: Best iPlayer VPNs

watch fifa club world Cup live stream US

How to watch the FIFA Club World Cup: live stream soccer in the US without cable

Fox Sports (opens in new tab) has the rights to this season's FIFA Club World Cup in the US, and you can watch all of the games on its various channels - check your local TV listings for details.

Kick-off times vary, but the earliest game is scheduled for a 9am ET/6am PT start, and the latest is set to begin at 1pm ET/10am PT.

If you don't have cable, you'll need to consider getting your live sports action via an over-the-top streaming service. Of the many that are available, we reckon the best solution for most soccer fans is FuboTV (opens in new tab), as it includes Fox Sports and offers a FREE 1-week trial (opens in new tab), after which plans start from $64.99 a month for a complete cable replacement service with over 120 channels...in its entry-level package!

Remember, whichever service you trial or choose, you can take your favorite sports streaming coverage with you wherever you are with the help of a good VPN (opens in new tab).

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watch fifa club world Cup live stream free

How to watch Club World Cup: live stream FIFA soccer online in Canada

In Canada, coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup is being provided by TSN (opens in new tab). As in the US, the earliest kick-off is set for 9am ET/6am PT, and the latest start for a game will be 1pm ET/10am PT.

If you get TSN as part of your cable deal, then you'll just be able to log in with the details of your provider and get access to a FIFA Club World Cup soccer live stream.

If you don't have cable, you can subscribe to TSN (opens in new tab) on a streaming-only basis from just CA$4.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month.

Take your favorite streams with you wherever you go - just grab a quality VPN (opens in new tab) and follow the instructions above.

watch FIFA Club World Cup live stream Australia

How to watch the FIFA Club World Cup 2021: live stream soccer in Australia

Optus Sports (opens in new tab) is the place to watch the FIFA Club World Cup Down Under.

You can stream Optus Sport coverage via your mobile, PC or tablet, and can also access the service on Fetch TV, Chromecast or Apple TV.

Anyone who isn't already signed up to the Optus network can also take advantage of monthly subscriptions to Optus Sport (opens in new tab) and watch all the games live. The service is available for AUS$15 per month and can be accessed via Google Play or the App Store.

If you're outside Australia and want to tune in to Optus Sport, you can use one of the best VPNs and watch the coverage from another nation.

How to watch a FIFA Club World Cup live stream in New Zealand

FIFA Club World Cup coverage in New Zealand is provided by Sky Sport (opens in new tab), which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.

Subscribers can watch online using the country's Sky Go service (opens in new tab), while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform (opens in new tab) - where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.

Anyone in New Zealand from abroad of vice-versa can use the VPN route (opens in new tab) outlined earlier to access their service of choice just like they would at home.

FIFA Club World Cup format

Round 1 was supposed to be contested by Al-Duhail and Auckland City, but the Qatari team was awarded a bye to Round 2 because of Auckland's withdrawal.

Tigres meet Ulsan Hyundai, and Al Ahly face Al-Duhail in Round 2, with the winners going on to play either Palmeiras or Bayern Munich - who qualify for the semi-finals automatically by means of being the top-seeded teams in the competition - for a place in the final.

FIFA Club World Cup schedule

All times GMT (UK time).

ROUND 1 - Monday, February 1

Al-Duhail vs Auckland City (Auckland City withdraw from tournament)

ROUND 2 - Thursday, February 4

UANL Tigres vs Ulsan Hyundai, 2pm
Al-Duhail vs Al Ahly, 5.30pm

5TH PLACE PLAYOFF - Sunday, February 7

Loser Match 2 vs Loser Match 3, 3pm

SEMI-FINAL 1 - Sunday, February 7

Palmeiras vs Winner Match 2, 6pm

SEMI-FINAL 2 - Monday, February 8

Bayern Munich vs Winner Match 3, 6pm

3RD PLACE PLAYOFF - Thursday, February 11

Loser Semi-Final 1 vs Loser Semi-Final 2, 3pm

FINAL - Thursday, February 11

Winner Semi-Final 1 vs Winner Semi-Final 2, 6pm

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Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.

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