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How to Watch the UCL for Free with a VPN
Our Verdict
Every UEFA Champions League (UCL) game, including the final, is broadcast for free on LiveScore Ireland, which live streams on desktop, mobile, and media streaming devices. To access the sports platform from any country, simply get a working VPN, connect to a server in Ireland, and cancel your plan within 30 days for a full refund.
Champions League live streams are usually only available via expensive subscription packages in most countries, which have contributed to over 8 million adults using dangerous and illegal sports streaming sites.
Cybercriminals deliberately use unauthorized streaming websites as bait to steal personal data. Research from Avast found a 45% increase in such incidents during UCL matches, and we personally found that many popular sites redirected us to phishing scams or sites that contain malware.
For this reason, we looked for safe ways to watch Champions League matches for free. LiveScore Ireland stood out as the top choice thanks to its trustworthy reputation, high-resolution live streams, and English commentary.
Though geo-restricted to IP addresses from Ireland, you can use a virtual private network (VPN) to change your IP address location and live stream every Champions League match entirely for free.
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How to Watch the Champions League with a VPN
The only way to legally and safely live stream every Champions League match for free, including the final, is to use a VPN with LiveScore.
The process for accessing LiveScore is straightforward, though the steps may vary slightly based on the device you’re using to stream. Depending on your device, you can follow the instructions listed below.
To watch games completely for free, take advantage of a VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee. To continue using it for free after this period, you can either sign up again with a different email address, or switch to a different service.
Using a paid VPN’s refund guarantee is preferable to using a totally free VPN, which have bandwidth limitations that restrict your viewing time, or can’t bypass geo-restrictions.
Desktop & Laptop (Windows & macOS)
Although LiveScore claims it only broadcasts free Champions League games on its app, we were able to access it via the browser on our PC and laptop.
Here’s step-by-step instructions on how to get a VPN to watch Champions League matches for free on desktop:
- Subscribe to a VPN service that has servers in Ireland: We recommend Private Internet Access for its affordability and 30-day refund policy.
- Download and install the VPN: Navigate to the VPN’s website, find the ‘Download VPN’ prompt from the VPN’s website and click it.
- Open the VPN app and connect to a server in Ireland: You’ll need an Irish IP address to access LiveScore.
- Enable your VPN’s ad blocker: If you’re using PIA, go to the app’s settings, click ‘Privacy’, and toggle the ‘PIA MACE’ checkbox. This will block the lengthy ads on LiveScore.
- Navigate to the LiveScore website and create a free LiveScore account: Press the hamburger menu at the top left and click ‘Join Now’. Enter your email and password.
- Select the match you want to stream: All matches are available for streaming and coverage will begin at 19:25 (UK time).
- Choose 1080p video resolution for the best viewing quality: Click the Settings cog icon at the top left of the video player. Then, select ‘Full HD’ from the list of options.
- Request a refund from the VPN: Create a new account with a different email or switch to another VPN offering a similar refund policy.
You can see how easily we accessed a geo-blocked Champions League game on desktop by using a VPN service in the video below:
Mobile (iOS & Android)
You don’t need an Irish Apple ID or Google Play account to download the LiveScore app. It’s available to download from every country, including the UK, making it easy to access on mobile.
Here’s how to access the Champions League for free using a VPN on mobile:
- Get a VPN that offers servers in Ireland and that works with LiveScore: Many are compatible, but PIA VPN is cheap and offers unlimited bandwidth.
- Download the VPN app onto your device: It’ll be available from the App Store on iOS or Google Play on Android.
- Open the VPN app and connect to a server in Ireland: This will give you an Irish IP address that’s required for LiveScore.
- Download the LiveScore app from the app store: If you already have it installed, force quit it to clear its cache.
- Open the LiveScore app and create an account: Tap the profile icon in the top left and choose ‘Join Now’. Enter your email address and password.
- Choose the game you want to stream from the home screen: Sadly, you won’t be able to manually select resolution. If your connection is fast enough, the game will stream in Full HD.
You can easily stream UCL matches through the LiveScore mobile app.
Fire TV
There isn’t a LiveScore app for streaming devices and Fire TV doesn’t support casting technology, so it’s not obvious to see how to get it running on Firestick.
However, unlike many streaming sites, we were able to watch videos on LiveScore using the Fire TV’s built-in web browser.
Here’s how to stream every Champions League match on Fire TV:
- On your PC or mobile, sign up for a VPN that offers Irish servers and an app for Fire TV. Once again, we recommend PIA VPN. No free VPN with servers in Ireland has a Fire TV app. You won’t be able to create an account directly from the Firestick app.
- Download the VPN app from the Amazon Appstore and log in.
- Connect to a server in Ireland.
- Open the Amazon Silk web browser: You won’t need to download it as it comes built-in to your Firestick.
- Navigate to the LiveScore website and create an account.
- From the home screen, click on the game you want to access.
You can access live UCL streams on Firestick via the built-in web browser.
AirPlay or Chromecast Built-in Devices
LiveScore allows you to cast matches from your phone or tablet to compatible devices, like Chromecasts and Apple TV.
Unlike many other streaming services, LiveScore doesn’t require the receiving device to be connected to a VPN. This simplifies the process significantly, as you won’t need to set up a VPN on a router or create a mobile hotspot.
Follow the steps below to watch Champions League for free on devices that support Chromecast functionality:
- Subscribe to a VPN that works reliably with LiveScore: We suggest Private Internet Access.
- Download the VPN app onto your mobile device: It’ll be available via the App Store or Google Play.
- Open the app and log in using your credentials.
- Connect to a VPN server in Ireland: You’ll need an Irish IP address to access the streaming site.
- Download the LiveScore app from the App Store or Google Play and open it.
- Choose the match from the app’s home screen and tap play on the video.
- Tap the Cast icon at the top right of the video player: Tap this even if you’re AirPlaying.
- Select the name of your streaming device from the list of options: The match will start streaming on your TV. Your streaming device doesn’t need to be connected to a VPN server.
LiveScore supports casting and AirPlay for showing live streams on TV-connected devices.
Why LiveScore Is the Best UCL Streaming Site
After watching Champions League matches on over 30 streaming services from countries around the world, we found LiveScore to be by far the best Champions League streaming site.
LiveScore is a reputable sports information service that’s existed since 1998 and has millions of users. VPNs also aren’t mentioned anywhere in its terms of use, so it won’t affect your account if you’re found to be using one.
You can see a summary of the data we collected on the most popular Champions League streaming sites in the table below:
| Streaming Service | IP Address Location | UCL Coverage | Video Resolution | Language | Monthly Subscription Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveScore | Ireland | All (125 matches) | 1080p (Full HD) | English | 100% free |
| M4 Sport | Hungary | 29 Matches | 1080p (Full HD) | Hungarian | 100% free |
| HRTi | Croatia | 33 Matches | 1080p (Full HD) | Croatian | 100% free |
| ServusTV | Austria | 33 Matches | 1080p (Full HD) | German | 100% Free |
| TNT Sports | UK | All (125 matches) | 1080p (Full HD) | English | £30.99 |
| Paramount Plus | US | All (125 matches) | 720p (HD) | English | £4.70 |
| DAZN | Canada | All (125 matches) | 720p (HD) | English | £17.40 |
LiveScore is the only option that broadcasts every single match live for free. Many of the other popular free options we tested, like RTÉ Player and HRTi, only broadcast one game per week.
We noticed LiveScore uses the same video feed as the premium TNT Sports service, but without the expensive subscription fee. Its video feed is also as current as TNT Sports’ and 22 seconds quicker than Servus TV. When using the latter, we often found that we saw a spoiler about a key moment in the match while multitasking with social media during a game.
LiveScore also offers commentary in English, often featuring familiar commentators such as Peter Drury and Dan O’Hagan. Most of the other free options we used, like ServusTV and M4 Sport, only provided commentary in German and Hungarian respectively.
We tested free & paid Champions League streaming sites from around the world.
For the paid-for services, Paramount Plus was the best we used, with a cheap price and excellent analysis by recognisable experts, like Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher. However, you can’t sign up for Paramount Plus US with a non-US payment method, making it difficult to access if you don’t live there.
Free UCL Live Stream Sites to Avoid
Every illegal Champions League streaming site should be avoided in all circumstances. Using them has potentially severe consequences, as they violate copyright law and expose you to malware, viruses, and scams that threaten your online safety and device security.
Though a VPN will prevent your ISP from seeing you’re accessing these sites, it won’t do anything to protect you against phishing scams, and not all VPNs protect against malware and viruses.
Here’s a summary of the most popular free Champions League streaming sites and why you should avoid them:
| Free Champions League Streaming Site | Reason(s) to Avoid |
|---|---|
| Reddit Soccer Streams | Contains links to sites that contain malware |
| HesGoal | Many pop-up ads, which could contain malware or be part of phishing scams |
| JokerGuide | Flagged as a risk for phishing scams |
| ROJADIRECTA | Lacks HTTPS encryption and flagged as malicious |
| TOTALSPORTEK | Contains malware and clicking links redirects to unsafe websites |
As you can see in the screenshot below, we discovered that the free streaming site, Reddit Soccer Streams, contains a prominent and misleading link to a URL that has been flagged as malicious by 5 cybersecurity vendors.
Our tests show Reddit Soccer Streams contain malicious links.
While these websites are free, the risk is simply not worth it. Instead, access legal free-to-air Champions League sites from other countries using a VPN, like LiveScore in Ireland or ServusTV in Austria.
Doing this won’t break the law and provides a far better user experience, without worrying about streams disappearing suddenly or buffering during peak times.
The Best VPN for Streaming the UCL
Every legal free Champions League streaming site, including LiveScore, is geo-blocked. With a streaming-optimized VPN, you can spoof your virtual location and access it from anywhere.
Below is our analysis of the very best VPN we tested to unblock LiveScore Ireland from outside the country.
Private Internet Access: The Best VPN for Streaming the UCL
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Always works with LiveScore Ireland | No entirely free version |
| Extensive server network in Ireland | Less easy-to-use than other top VPNs |
| Fast download speeds & unlimited bandwidth | |
| Low subscription price | |
| PIA Mace blocks ads on LiveScore |
Private Internet Access is the best VPN for accessing live UCL matches for free. It always bypassed LiveScore’s geo-restrictions and it’s available for much cheaper than comparable VPN services.
Unblocking LiveScore Ireland
In our testing, PIA consistently unblocked LiveScore. Unlike previous experiences with VyprVPN and Mullvad, PIA instantly loaded UCL matches without any buffering issues or drops in FPS.
Private Internet Access unblocked LiveScore every time.
Though the vast majority of top VPNs can access LiveScore, PIA differentiates itself by offering more servers in Ireland than any other VPN. For context, PIA has 132 servers in Ireland, while NordVPN has 50 and IPVanish has just 14. This meant we could switch through numerous Irish IP addresses.
Connection Speeds & Bandwidth
Using the WireGuard protocol, our speed tests revealed a minimal speed loss while connected to far-away PIA servers. We recorded a speed loss of just 14%, meaning our download speeds were always sufficient for Full HD streaming on LiveScore, requiring around 5Mbps.
Additionally, PIA offers unlimited data. We used the VPN to watch multiple Champions League matches each month without having to worry about using up our allowance.
Interface & Device Compatibility
PIA provides apps for desktop, mobile, and Fire TV, which are the only devices you need to use LiveScore everywhere. Though these apps are less easy to use than alternative VPNs, like ExpressVPN and Surfshark, they are feature-rich.
The inclusion of PIA MACE, an effective ad blocker, allowed us to bypass LiveScore’s pre-roll ads, which could sometimes take over a minute to complete.
Pricing & Free Access
Private Internet Access is one of the most affordable top VPN services. It significantly undercuts its competitors, costing just $2.03 per month on its cheapest plan.
This is $5 per month less than ExpressVPN and $1 less than NordVPN.
Though it’s not completely free, PIA offers a seven-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back guarantee elsewhere. This allows you to essentially use the service for free, with a straightforward refund process if requested within the first 30 days.
How We Tested VPNs for Watching the UCL
To find the best VPN to access geo-blocked Champions League live streams, we tested 62 options first-hand.
We tried accessing UCL live streams on LiveScore while connected to dozens of VPNs.
Here’s the criteria we took into consideration when ranking these VPNs and how we collected the data on each VPN:
1. Compatibility with LiveScore Ireland
- Test Conducted: Connected to an Irish VPN server and tried streaming from LiveScore.
- Why It’s Important: Enables free access to Champions League streaming from any location.
- Optimal Result: Successfully unblocks LiveScore Ireland across all Irish servers.
2. Free-to-Use
- Test Conducted: Searched for VPNs offering a completely free tier, including those with mobile free trials or money-back guarantees.
- Why It’s Important: Maximizes the cost benefits of using a VPN with a free Champions League site rather than a local paid Champions League streaming site.
- Optimal Result: A fully free tier available without the requirement for payment details.
3. Fast Speeds
- Test Conducted: Conducted in-house speed tests to measure the VPN’s download speeds when connecting to European servers.
- Why It’s Important: Essential for streaming Champions League matches in Full HD without experiencing buffering or a decrease in frames per second.
- Optimal Result: Less than 10% loss in download speed when connected to international VPN servers.
4. Wide Device Compatibility
- Test Conducted: Installed and tested the VPN’s applications across various devices, focusing on compatibility with desktop, mobile, and Fire TV for LiveScore.
- Why It’s Important: To ensure the VPN can unblock Champions League matches on the viewer’s device of choice, including Firestick.
- Optimal Result: Intuitive and user-friendly applications available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Fire TV.
5. Private Logging Policy & Strong Security Features
- Test Conducted: We thoroughly reviewed the VPNs’ privacy policies and rigorously tested their security features.
- Why It’s Important: Many free VPNs pose privacy risks as some collect and sell user data.
- Optimal Result: Adherence to a strict no-logs policy with advanced encryption, alongside reliable security features such as a kill switch and IP leak protection.
