Round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup continues with Japan vs. Croatia on Monday, Dec. 5. The match is scheduled to kick off at 10 AM (EST) for American fans and 4 PM (CET) in Europe.
There are some excellent free live streams of Japan vs. Croatia, but you might run into geo-blocking restrictions. You can use a VPN to change your IP address and get around these virtual fences and tune into any live stream in the world.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide on how to watch a free stream of Japan vs. Croatia with English commentary from a broadcaster in Ireland:
- Get a VPN. Surfshark is our favorite VPN for sports streaming.
- Sign up on the website and download the VPN on your favorite streaming device.
- Log in to your new account.
- Connect to a server in Ireland.
- Visit the RTE Live Player. Click on Channel RTE 2 during the match.
- Enjoy Croatia vs. Japan or any other Round of 16 World Cup matches!
Below we’ll tell you all about our favorite VPN, and free live streams for the World Cup. We’ll also be taking a quick look at what you can expect for the Japan vs. Croatia match on Monday.
Japan vs. Croatia is set to be one of the highlights of the knockout stages at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The match kicks off on Monday, Dec. 5, at 4:00 PM (CET) for European football fans, while fans from the US can tune in from 10:00 AM (EST).
The knockout stages have been intense so far, and it’s tough to say if Japan’s come-from-behind, second-half victories will be enough against yet another top contender in team Croatia. Considering they’ve done it against the true superpowers of the World Cup — Germany and Spain — Monday’s outcome is anybody’s guess.
Want to live stream Japan vs. Croatia for free on? Keep reading to find out how.
Japan vs. Croatia: Free Live Streams (No Sign-Up)
There are plenty of international broadcasters that offer free live streams of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 matches. You don’t even need to sign up for some of these platforms, you just click over to their site and start streaming.
However, if you’re not in the country when accessing the website, you’ll run into geo-blocking restrictions. But there is a way to get around this issue.
Have you ever heard of a virtual private network (VPN)? With a VPN, you can connect to secure global servers in other countries and cities around the world, which change your IP address and your device’s virtual location. Then you can access the free live streams that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
Here’s a round-up of our favorite free live streams of Japan vs. Croatia:
| 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 | YouTube TV FuboTV |
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 Japan vs. Croatia for Free Online
We recommend RTE 2’s live stream for Japan vs. Croatia. You won’t need to sign up for the RTE Player, and you can enjoy the match in high quality with English commentary.
Since RTE is a broadcaster in Ireland, you’re going to need an Irish IP address to watch. Once you’ve installed a VPN on your device, you can do that in one click.
Want to live stream Japan vs. Croatia (and other 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 matches) free from anywhere? Here’s how:
1. Get a Surfshark subscription
We’ve researched and tested several VPNs, and our favorite is Surfshark, especially when it comes to live-streaming sports. Here are Surfshark’s best features:
- Quick connection speeds through Wireguard
- 3,200+ servers in 100 countries (including all countries with our free Croatia vs. Japan streams listed above)
- Reliable servers to unblock geo-restricted content
- 30-day money-back guarantee
First, you’ll need to sign-up and create an account. Use Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee as a free trial to watch Japan vs. Croatia for free. Canceling your subscription before the 30-day window is done by contacting customer support through chat.
Once you’ve got your account, download the VPN onto your device. You can install Surfshark directly from their website or use any major app store. Surfshark is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Smart TVs, so you can enjoy the match on any device you prefer.
From there, launch the VPN and log into your account. Surfshark’s intuitive interface makes it easy to use if you’re a beginner. Connect to a server of your choice (you’ll see a list of different countries and cities). If you plan on streaming with our recommendation, connect to an Irish server.
2. Choose a free live stream
With a VPN installed on your device, you can enjoy any live stream you want. So you might as well get one for free. We like Ireland’s RTE Player.
Make sure you connect to an Irish VPN server before you launch the RTE website. If your VPN is not connected, you’ll still run into geo-blocking restrictions.
Here’s how you can watch Japan vs. Croatia using the RTE Player:
- Connect to a VPN server in Ireland.
- Go to the RTE Live Player.
- Click on Channel RTE 2 channel during Japan vs. Croatia match.
- Let’s see if Japan can pull it off or if Croatia will send them on their way!
Stream not working? Or want to try out another one for fun? All you need to do is connect to the relevant server in a different country to match your stream. For example, you can live stream with NOS by connecting to a server in the Netherlands. For SRF ZWEI you’ll need to be hooked up to Switzerland.
Pro tip: If you’re having problems opening streams for some reason, open a new incognito (or private browsing) window. Chrome users sometimes find they do better with a privacy-friendly browser like Mozilla.
Japan vs. Croatia: What to Expect
The Japan vs. Croatia predictions are extremely tough. These are both teams that have been in excellent form and have surprised everyone with their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaigns. As a shock result, Japan outclassed both Germany and Spain during the group stages, and they are certainly looking like threatening candidates with an underdog’s victory against Croatia! It would be foolish to write off the Japanese so early as they have proven themselves against two of the best sides in the world of football.
Of course, we can’t ignore that Croatia has been strong throughout the entire Qatar World Cup, running through the group stages undefeated, beating Saudi Arabia, and slaughtering Canada. When they weren’t in the winner’s circle, they managed to hold both Morocco and Belgium to goalless draws. Their results might not seem that impressive, but it shows that their defensive work rate is unmatched so far — they have only let in one goal so far.
For Japan, Ao Tanaka returned from injury against Spain, sealing the win with his goal. He’ll be a player full of confidence that you should keep an eye on against Croatia. Ritsu Doan has also shown how he works under pressure by scoring against both Spain and Germany.
On the Croatian side, Ivan Perisic and captain Luka Modric will be key against Japan. Their positioning and defensive awareness will make the difference against the fierce Japanese attack. The Checkered Ones have no fresh injuries, and they’re expected to repeat the same starting XI that showed up against Belgium to send the Red Devils home.
The history of head-to-head matches between these two teams makes it even more difficult to tell who will come out on top. In past matchups, Japan has won once, Croatia has taken one, and they rounded out the third with a draw.
What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? We’ll find out on Monday, make sure to tune in!
FIFA World Cup 2022 Schedule
We’re well into the Round of 16 now, and the action is heating up! The final will be played on December 18, but for now, teams are focusing on getting themselves into the quarter-finals. Below you can find the full schedule for 2022 FIFA World Cup matches, as well as the teams that have been eliminated from the tournament:
World Cup: Round of 16
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Netherlands vs. USA |
| Sat, Dec. 3 | Argentina vs. Australia |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | France vs. Poland |
| Sun, Dec. 4 | England vs. Senegal |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | Japan vs. Croatia |
| Mon, Dec. 5 | 1G vs. 2H |
| Tues, Dec. 6 | Morocco vs. Spain |
| Tues, Dec. 6 | 1H vs. 2G |
World Cup Teams Eliminated
| Team | FIFA Ranking | Elimination Date | Elimination Stage | Eliminated By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 31 | Dec. 1 | Group Stage | Loss vs. Germany |
| Germany | 11 | Dec. 1 | Group Stage | Goal difference to Japan |
| Belgium | 2 | Dec. 1 | Group Stage | Draw vs. Croatia |
| Mexico | 13 | Nov. 30 | Group Stage | Goal Difference to Poland |
| Saudi Arabia | 51 | Nov. 30 | Group Stage | Loss to Mexico |
| Tunisia | 30 | Nov. 30 | Group Stage | Australia win vs. Denmark |
| Denmark | 10 | Nov. 30 | Group Stage | Loss to Australia |
| Iran | 20 | Nov. 29 | Group Stage | Loss to USA |
| Wales | 19 | Nov. 29 | Group Stage | Loss to England |
| Ecuador | 44 | Nov. 29 | Group Stage | Loss to Senegal |
| Canada | 41 | Nov. 27 | Group Stage | Loss to Croatia and Morocco win vs. Belgium |
| Qatar | 50 | Nov. 25 | Group Stage | Loss to Senegal and draw between Netherlands vs. Ecuador |
World Cup Quarterfinals
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| Fri, Dec. 9 | QF 1 |
| Fri, Dec. 9 | QF 2 |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | QF 3 |
| Sat, Dec. 10 | QF 4 |
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 |
