Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium on a football court
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A Quick Guide: How to Watch the World Cup 2022: Belgium vs. Croatia

The favorites of Group F face off on Thursday in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Croatia vs. Belgium starts at 4 PM (CET) in Europe and 10 AM (EST) on Dec 1.

There are some excellent international free live streams of Croatia vs. Belgium, but you’ll be blocked if you’re not in a country that’s eligible to watch. However, you can use a VPN to change your IP address (and your device’s virtual location), bypassing geo-blocking and gaining access to free live streams you couldn’t get otherwise.

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to watch a free stream of Croatia vs. Belgium with English commentary from a broadcaster in Ireland:

  1. Get a VPN. Surfshark is our favorite VPN for sports streaming.
  2. Sign up on the website and download the VPN on your favorite streaming device.
  3. Log in to your new account.
  4. Connect to a server in Ireland.
  5. Visit the RTE Live Player. Click on Channel RTE 2 during the match.
  6. Enjoy all the action from Croatia vs. Belgium or any other World Cup matches!

Below, we’ll tell you more about our favorite free live streams for the World Cup, how to use a VPN, and what to expect from the upcoming match between the Red Devils and the Checkered Ones!

On Thursday, Dec. 1, football fans are in for a treat as Croatia takes on Belgium in an exhilarating Group F match for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Fans in central Europe can enjoy a 4:00 PM (CET) kick-off, while fans who want to tune in from the United States will get a 10:00 AM (EST) start.

Croatia is sitting comfortably at the top of Group F, while Belgium faces a must-win match. If you want to watch Croatia vs. Belgium free from anywhere in the world, keep reading on!

Croatia vs. Belgium: Free Live Streams (No Sign-Up)

A number of broadcasters in Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, and a few other countries offer free live streams of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The best part is that you don’t even need to sign up to any of these platforms to tune into the live streams.

But if you’re not within one of these regions, you’ll run into geo-blocking restrictions when trying to access a live stream. Fortunately, you can change your digital location and tune in by changing your IP address.

The easiest way to do this is by using a virtual private network (VPN). VPNs are powerful cyber tools that enable you to unlock geo-blocked streaming sites and watch live content from around the world.

We’ll show you exactly how to get a VPN and a live stream up and running shortly, but first, here’s a list of the best free international live streams of Croatia vs. Belgium.

Country Online Broadcaster Is sign-up or authentication required? Do I need a VPN to watch it?
Netherlands NOS No Yes, if you’re not in the Netherlands
Belgium or France RTBF Auvio No Yes, if you’re not within Belgium or France
Ireland (Recommended) RTE Player (Channel RTE 2) No Yes, if you’re not in Ireland
Switzerland SRF ZWEI No Yes, if you’re not in Switzerland
United States Peacock TV (Free in Spanish)
YouTube TV
FuboTV
Yes (Free in Spanish)
Yes (Free trial)
Yes (Free trial)
Yes, if you’re not within the United States
Australia SBS Yes Yes, if you’re not in Australia

How to Watch Croatia vs. Belgium for Free Online

We recommend tuning into RTE 2’s free live stream of Croatia vs. Belgium on Thursday. It’s an Irish stream, and it’s our top recommendation because you don’t need to sign up for the platform, and you can enjoy the match with English commentary.

You will need an Irish IP address to tune into the RTE stream. As long as you have a virtual private network (VPN) installed on your device, getting that IP address changed is a breeze.

Here’s how you can live stream Croatia vs. Belgium (and other 2022 FIFA World Cup matches) free from anywhere.

1. Get a Surfshark subscription

Screenshot of Surfshark, Black Friday deal and discount

The first step is to change your IP address using a VPN. By changing your IP address to one in another country, you can bypass geo-blocking restrictions that prevent you from live-streaming World Cup matches.

We’ve tested several VPNs, and Surfshark is our favorite when it comes to sports streaming. Here are some reasons why:

  • Rapid connection speeds through Wireguard
  • 3,200+ servers in 100 countries (including all countries with our free Croatia vs. Belgium streams listed above)
  • Reliable and stable servers to unblock geo-restricted content
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Whether you’ve used a VPN before or not, Surfshark has an intuitive interface that’s extremely easy to use. Surfshark’s website or any major app store can be used to install the VPN on your preferred streaming device. Surfshark is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Smart TVs.

Once you have the VPN installed, create an account with Surfshark. From there, you can launch the app and log into your account. You can now choose a server in a different country to connect to. If you want to watch the match with RTE, make sure to connect to an Irish server.

If you’re on the fence about paying for the VPN, you use the 30-day money-back guarantee offered by Surfshark.

2. Choose a free live stream

With a VPN installed on your device, it’s time to find a live stream for the match. VPNs allow you to tune into most lives streams in the world! Our recommendation is Ireland’s RTE Player.

Make sure to connect to an Irish server before heading to the RTE website. You’ll run into geo-blocking restrictions if you try to head over to the site before hooking up your VPN.

Here’s how you can watch Croatia vs. Belgium using the RTE Player:

  1. Connect to a VPN server in Ireland.
  2. Go to the RTE Live Player.
  3. Click on Channel RTE 2 channel during Croatia vs. Belgium match.
  4. Enjoy a thrilling match from Qatar!

Make sure to use the table above to find a server in a different country to connect to if you want to stream the match using a broadcaster located abroad. For example, you can stream the game with SBS by connecting to an Australian server. To watch Peacock TV, you’d need an American server.

Pro tip: Having issues playing the streams? Try opening a new incognito window or using a privacy-friendly browser like Mozilla.

Croatia vs. Belgium: What to Expect

Belgium was once the favorite of Group F — now they’re fighting for survival! The Red Devils suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat against Morocco, which sent them down to third place in the table. Their 1-0 victory over Canada did not look too convincing either, which means that they may have a struggle on their hands (or feet) against Croatia on Thursday.

The red and white checkered jerseys have been flying high so far this tournament. Croatia might have had a goalless draw with Morocco as their opening fixture, but they had an impressive 4-1 victory over Canada, leaving them at the top of the Group F table.

The Balkan nation has not beaten Belgium since 2010, so they face a serious challenge on Thursday. However, there have been rumors of some tension in the Red Devils camp between Kevin De Bruyne and Jan Verthongen, as Romelu Lukaku allegedly had to separate the pair following their 2-0 defeat to Morocco. The dressing room unrest could well be the key to how Croatia will unravel Belgium’s World Cup hopes on Thursday.

Croatia is unlikely to make any changes to its starting lineup, as it’s clearly working well! 37-year-old captain Luka Modric is loving life at the World Cup, but he is one yellow card away from suspension, so he does need to be careful on Thursday. Croatia seems to be the more focused and steady team heading into the match, so they are likely to have the upper hand.

It’s going to be a close match, but Belgium has everything to lose on Thursday and will look to hit the ground running — and that’s why it’s expected to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller you can’t miss out on!

FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule

The FIFA World Cup tournament has been going on since November 21, and the final will be played on Dececember 18. Below you can find the full schedule for 2022 FIFA World Cup matches:

2022 Group Stage

Group A

Date Match
Mon, Nov. 21 Senegal vs. Netherlands
Mon, Nov. 21 Qatar vs. Ecuador
Fri, Nov. 25 Qatar vs. Senegal
Fri, Nov. 25 Netherlands vs. Ecuador
Tues, Nov. 29 Netherlands vs. Qatar
Tues, Nov. 29 Ecuador vs. Senegal

Group B

Date Match
Mon, Nov. 21 England vs. Iran
Mon, Nov. 21 USA vs. Wales
Fri, Nov. 25 Wales vs. Iran
Fri, Nov. 25 England vs. USA
Tues, Nov. 29 Wales vs. England
Tues, Nov. 29 Iran vs. USA

Group C

Date Match
Tues, Nov. 22 Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
Tues, Nov. 22 Mexico vs. Poland
Sat, Nov. 26 Poland vs. Saudi Arabia
Sat, Nov. 26 Argentina vs. Mexico
Wed, Nov. 30 Poland vs. Argentina
Wed, Nov. 30 Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico

Group D

Date Match
Tues, Nov. 22 Denmark vs. Tunisia
Tues, Nov. 22 France vs. Australia
Sat, Nov. 26 Tunisia vs. Australia
Sat, Nov. 26 France vs. Denmark
Wed, Nov. 30 Tunisia vs. France
Wed, Nov. 30 Australia vs. Denmark

Group E

Date Match
Wed, Nov. 23 Germany vs. Japan
Wed, Nov. 23 Spain vs. Costa Rica
Sun, Nov. 27 Japan vs. Costa Rica
Sun, Nov. 27 Spain vs. Germany
Thurs, Dec. 1 Japan vs. Spain
Thurs, Dec. 1 Costa Rica vs. Germany

Group F

Date Match
Wed, Nov. 23 Morocco vs. Croatia
Wed, Nov. 23 Belgium vs. Canada
Sun, Nov. 27 Belgium vs. Morocco
Sun, Nov. 27 Croatia vs. Canada
Thurs, Dec. 1 Croatia vs. Belgium
Thurs, Dec. 1 Canada vs. Morocco

Group G

Date Match
Thurs, Nov. 24 Switzerland vs. Cameroon
Thurs, Nov. 24 Brazil vs. Serbia
Mon, Nov. 28 Cameroon vs. Serbia
Mon, Nov. 28 Brazil vs. Switzerland
Fri, Dec. 2 Cameroon vs. Brazil
Fri, Dec. 2 Serbia vs. Switzerland

Group H

Date Match
Thurs, Nov. 24 Uruguay vs. South Korea
Thurs, Nov. 24 Portugal vs. Ghana
Mon, Nov. 28 South Korea vs. Ghana
Mon, Nov. 28 Portugal vs. Uruguay
Fri, Dec. 2 South Korea vs. Portugal
Fri, Dec. 2 Ghana vs. Uruguay

World Cup Round of 16

Date Match
Sat, Dec. 3 1A vs. 2B
Sat, Dec. 3 1C vs. 2D
Sun, Dec. 4 1D vs. 2C
Sun, Dec. 4 1B vs. 2A
Mon, Dec. 5 1E vs. 2F
Mon, Dec. 5 1G vs. 2H
Tues, Dec. 6 1F vs. 2E
Tues, Dec. 6 1H vs. 2G

World Cup Quarterfinals

Date Match
Fri, Dec. 9 QF 1: 1E/2F vs. 1G/2H
Fri, Dec. 9 QF 2: 1A/2B vs. 1C/2D
Sat, Dec. 10 QF 3: 1F/2E vs. 1H/2G
Sat, Dec. 10 QF 4: 1B/2A vs. 1D/2C

World Cup Semifinals

Date Match
Tues, Dec. 13 QF 1 vs. QF 2
Wed, Dec. 14 QF 3 vs. QF 4

World Cup 3rd Place

Date Match
Sat, Dec. 17 Losers of Semifinals

2022 FIFA World Cup Finals

Date Match
Sat, Dec. 18 Winners of Semifinals
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