Euro 2020 (or, as it is now, Euro 2021) is finally here, and millions of football fans will be tuning in not just in Europe, but all over the world.
The tournament is being aired exclusively on pay-TV services in a lot of non-European countries like Australia and the USA. In many European nations, however, you can watch the whole tournament on free-to-air TV.
If you’re a football supporter from Europe now living somewhere else – or you’re just a passionate fan of the sport who loves the Euros – this can be really frustrating. But with a virtual private network (A.K.A. a VPN), you’ll be able to access a high-definition European stream in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese that is completely free to air.
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How to watch Euro 2021 football
A VPN is a must-have piece of kit if you want to access a high-quality, free Euro 2021 stream. VPN services spoof your location so you appear to be somewhere else, allowing you to access geo-restricted service based in another country that is showing Euro 2021 for free. This same method should work for all the streaming services we list in this article!
Let’s say you live in the UAE, but you don’t want to pay for a beIN Sports subscription and, if possible, you’d prefer a stream with English commentary because English is your first language. With a VPN like ExpressVPN , it doesn’t really matter where you are in the world – you’ll be able to connect to the ITV and The BBC. Simply follow the steps below to watch Euro 2021 football from anywhere.
- Sign up for an ExpressVPN account.
- Download the software and install it on your device.
- Connect to one of ExpressVPN’s servers in the United Kingdom.
- Navigate to the ITV or The BBC’s live TV page (you may need to create an account).
- Start streaming the Euros in high definition!
As you can see from the image below, ExpressVPN has servers in several locations in the UK – similar to its coverage in other European countries. They also offer a 30-day no-questions asked money-back guarantee.
You don’t need to sign up to check its server locations, so head over to the website to double-check they have servers where you need them. They’ve even got one in Wembley if you want to keep with the footballing theme!
The best ways to stream Euro 2021
Below is a list of the best streams to watch Euro 2020 on. Using a VPN will allow you to unblock these channels from anywhere in the world and ExpressVPN has high-speed servers in all of these countries so you can stream all the action in HD. All of these channels are legal, High Definition, and completely free-to-air.
Remember, if you live outside of the countries these channels are based in, you will need a VPN to access them. Otherwise, you will be blocked from entering.
How do VPNs unblock Euro 2021 Football?
VPNs send all your internet traffic down an encrypted tunnel and through a private server, allowing you to safely spoof your location and pretend to be in the country where that server is located.
ExpressVPN is a state-of-the-art VPN provider with over 3,000 servers worldwide, including loads in England, France, Spain, and Portugal, where the Euros is being shown on free-to-air TV. This means you can connect through one of their servers in the country and simply access the channels available there.
Out of all the VPNs on the market, ExpressVPN is known for its ability to consistently unblock top streaming services like the BBC and ITV, which are showing all the games between them in the UK.
All the streams we’re about to provide you with information are high quality, so your next consideration will likely be commentary language.
All footballing nations have famous commentators who are masters of their craft – and when you have to watch a stream in the wrong language – or with the wrong commentators – it’s never really the same experience, and you realize how much they add to the football viewing experience. If you’re one of the 360,000 British people who live in Spain, for example – where you can watch Euro 2020 on free-to-air TV – you might still prefer the good old BBC commentary team.
Regions with no real free-to-air options
In Europe, there’s always massive pressure on the Euros to be free to air, which is why even pay-tv channels like Sport TV Portugal sub-license their rights to channels like TVI.
But in many countries outside of Europe, the rights to show the games are held exclusively by pay-TV/cable channels. This means you’ll have to pay a hefty subscription fee to watch it.
Why you should Avoid Illegal streaming sites for Euro 2021
Since the rise of pay-tv subscription platforms, it’s an unfortunate reality that an increasing number of sports fans have been turning to illegal streaming sites to watch football. However, here at ProPrivacy we strongly recommend you avoid illegal streaming sites for a number of reasons.
Last year, The Industry Trust found that 29% of people who stream movies and sport on illegal websites saw their devices infected with malware. Illegal sites that take subscription payments are also hotbeds for fraudulent activity. Aside from the threat of malware, other problems with illegal streaming include:
- Delays, latency, and buffering
- All-round poor picture quality, often blurry
- ‘Zoomed in’ streams where the scoreboard/minutes aren’t visible
- Streams suddenly dropping during matches
- Irritating ad overlays and pop-ups
- Limited choice of commentary language
Case study: Mobdro
Mobdro, described in the media as ‘the world’s largest illegal streaming platform’ was an app that allowed users to illegally stream Premier League and La Liga games. Over 43 million people downloaded it before it was shut down this year.
Shortly beforehand, a researcher at the Digital Citizen’s Alliance – who were looking into the app – found that it directly downloaded malware onto the device they were using to investigate it.
Is using a VPN to stream Euro 2021 legal?
Yes! Although it might be against the terms of service of some of these sites a) VPNs are not illegal to use and b) you’re going to be using one to access a stream provided by a broadcaster who has legally obtained the rights to show Euro 2021.
This means you can watch Euro 2021 with a VPN without worrying. Yes, there are some examples of websites blocking IP addresses known to be associated with VPN providers, but most premium services, like ExpressVPN, don’t have this problem and can be used efficiently to access the sites in question from wherever you are in the world.
Watch Euro 2021 online for free thanks to the 30-day money-back guarantee
Euro 2021 runs from June 11 to July 11 – which is exactly 30 days long. This is extremely convenient, as basically all premium, paid-for VPN services (including ExpressVPN) offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
This means you can download your VPN software, install it, use it for 30-days, and then claim your refund back – essentially mean you can watch the entirety of Euro 2021 online for free, only incurring a temporary cost which will be reimbursed back to you once the tournament ends.
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If you need A VPN for Euro 2021, why not test ExpressVPN premium service? Simply purchase a subscription using the button below and take advantage of the no-nonsense money-back-guarantee. Enjoy the free VPN trial for 30 days, and when you cancel, you will receive a complete refund! Check out our ExpressVPN refund page for more details about how to get your money back after the 30-day period.
The reason so many VPNs offer this admirable condition on their service is that most people find VPNs really useful after using them. Even the most expensive services are worth the money. Think how many people pay for one, single regional Netflix library. it’s double, or even triple the monthly price of most VPN services. But with a VPN, you can access hundreds of Netflix libraries from around the world, by simply connecting to different servers across the globe.
Euro 2021: the build-up
For a full fixture list, including the time, date, and location of every single game of Euro 2020, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. For information regarding the group stages, tournament predictions, and things to look out for during the competition, keep scrolling!
The groups
- Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales
- Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
- Group C: Ukraine, Netherlands, Austria, North Macedonia
- Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland
- Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, Slovakia
- Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, Hungary
Who will win Euro 2021?
England, France, and Belgium seem to be consistently ahead of the rest of the pack in most people’s estimations, with some bookies giving the trio around a 5/1 chance of winning each.
France are, of course, World Champions, and any team spearheaded by a player as dangerous as Kylian Mbappe will feel they have a strong chance of walking away victorious in an international tournament. Since September 2020, they have beaten Euro 2020 attendees Croatia (twice), Ukraine, Sweden, and Portugal, although their home defeat to Finland in November showed they’re still human.
Belgium, in many ways, are still yet to realize their potential as a force in international football, but fortunes could change in the summer for perhaps the best side the country has ever produced. Like England, they reached the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup, losing to eventual winners France, and will be eager to go one further on the European stage. Lining up against Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard – despite the latter’s poor form in the Spanish capital – will make even the most experienced defenders feel uneasy.
Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal, the latter of which ran away as surprise winners in 2016, are all being given decent odds at the moment, although this could of course change.
Who are the dark horses?
It’s the Euros, so anything can happen – just ask any member of the England squad that crashed out to Iceland in 2016 or the Portuguese team that lost to Greece in 2004.
Denmark may fancy their chances this time around, despite being left out of the general conversation about who’s likely to emerge victorious in July. Their unusually star-studded 23-man squad is likely to include players from Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Atalanta, Inter, and AC Milan. Few teams at the tournament will be able to field Starting XI’s with such elite club-level representation. It’s also hard to ignore the threat that is likely to be posed by Croatia, fresh off the back of their 2018 run to the World Cup final. Their team – which includes Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic, may be the only thing standing in the way of England finishing top of Group D.
It was looking like the ones to watch this time around might be Sweden, thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to international football after reversing his decision to retire. Turning forty this year, the former PSG and Barcelona man is still ripping it up in the Serie A with AC Milan, with only Juventus forward and four-time Ballon D’or winner Cristiano Ronaldo posting a goals-to-game ratio comparable to the rampant Scandinavian striker.
But he’s recently suffered a knee injury that scheduled to rule him out of the tournament completely, a hammer blow for the Swedish team. However, Ronaldo’s clubmate, Dejan Kuluveski, is perhaps the most exciting midfield talent Sweden has produced for several years, and they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup without Zlatan. Considering Spain’s less-than-convincing qualifier performances as of late, there’s every chance of an upset, there’s every chance of an upset in Group E.
Another country that has typically looked to a talismanic striker for moments of inspiration is Poland. Much of the country’s hopes for tournament success rest on whether Robert Lewandowski can be equally as deadly in the box for his nation as he is week in week out whilst playing for Bayern Munich. Poland reached the quarter-finals in 2016, so a semi-final appearance, for instance, is not at all far-fetched.
Euro 2021: talking points
An unusual set-up
The big story of Euro 2020, of course, is that it isn’t being played in 2020 at all. The tournament was postponed for a year due to the Coronavirus pandemic and, in another tournament first, will be played at various locations across Europe, from Azerbaijan to Spain.
How this extra traveling affects team performance is something worth keeping an eye on, as will the fact that many teams will be playing Euro 2021 fixtures in the country of their birth. Spain, Germany, England, Hungary, Scotland, The Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, and Russia will all be playing at least one group stage game on home turf.
Ireland – who haven’t qualified for the tournament – were scheduled to host several games in Dublin, but they have recently been reallocated over Covid concerns. Several games set to be hosted in Bilbao have now also been moved to Seville. This may be an omen for what’s to come; if there are more spikes across Europe during the tournament, games may have to be switched last minute.
Ronaldo’s last hurrah?
Euro 2020 perhaps marks the last European Championships that will see Cristiano Ronaldo grace the pitch. The Portuguese striker has been a permanent fixture of the tournament since 2004 and was one of the key players in 2016 when Portugal emerged victorious after a surprise Eder strike in the final four years ago.
He’ll be in his late thirties by the time Euro 2024 rolls around, and for the first time in two decades, it will be an open question as to whether he makes the squad. Portugal is in the nominal ‘group of death’ for this tournament and will have to face both Germany and the 2018 World Cup winners France in the group stage, and will need strong performances to give themselves any chance of progressing into the knockout rounds.
Ronaldo is currently the joint top scorer in tournament history, tied on 9 with Michel Platini (who, quite incredibly, notched up his entire tally in a single tournament). One more would make him the first player to reach double figures in the tournament’s history – and what a way that would be to bow out!
Southgate’s player puzzle
For the first time in a long while, England fans seem to rate their team’s chances of reaching the latter stages of a European Championship, with boss Gareth Southgate still mulling over selection decisions with few names, especially in attacking positions, firmly locked in.
The explosive nature of Jack Grealish’s performances this season for Aston Villa and the seemingly unstoppable rise of Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who powered his team into the Champions League semi-finals recently, will likely see them take center stage as key members of the Starting XI. Chuck Jesse Lingard into the equation – who’s been in the form of his life since going on loan to shock Champions league chasers, West Ham, in January – you’ve got yourself what pundits commonly refer to as a ‘selection headache’. Chelsea’s Mason Mount, who has been a firm Southgate favorite for the last year or so and has just been crowned a Champions League winner, will also expect to start.
It’s not the worst type of selection headache for Southgate to have, but a hard one nonetheless, perhaps emphasized by the manager’s decision to name a 33-man provisional squad that is scheduled to be whittled down to 26 before the tournament when a number of other teams haven’t done so. Early reports suggest it is indeed Jesse Lingard – as well as Southampton star James Ward-Prowse – who will miss out on the final 26, with Mason Greenwood withdrawing due to injury and other players still to cut.
In somewhat of a first for an England manager of the modern era, he’s having to compare the form of multiple players playing in different leagues across Europe. Kieran Trippier – the only England player to score in a World Cup semi-final for two generations – has enjoyed a stellar season at Atletico Madrid, whilst the rise of 17-year-old Jude Bellingham, who joined his compatriot Foden on the score sheet in the Champions League in City’s game against Bundesliga powerhouse Borussia Dortmund, is hard to ignore. The same goes for his clubmate Jadon Sancho, who is only 21 yet will surely be vying for a starting spot off the back of another strong season for the German outfit.
The defense is a different story. The fate of players like Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold – whose talent is unquestionable, but form of late has raised a few concerned eyebrows – is far from certain, especially when experienced players like Kyle Walker are available. The fitness of first-choice center-half Harry Maguire – so essential to the side that there will be question marks around whether England will even play a back four if he’s gets injured – will likely be crucial to their progression. Due to a recent injury, there are now serious questions about Maguire’s fitness and he’s unlikely to play a part in the Europa League final for club team Manchester United, so Southgate may have some tough decisions ahead.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford, whose goalkeeping heroics were a key feature of England’s World Cup Semi-final run in 2018, is expected to retain his place as no.1. despite an underwhelming season that has seen Dean Henderson emerge as Manchester United’s first-choice keeper and Nick Pope continue to produce good performances between the sticks for Burnley, but he has recently been ruled out of the competing due to injury. Unfortunately for England, analysis by The Athletic shows that Pope has the second-best goal prevention rate out of any goalkeeper in the Premier League during 2020 – with Dean Henderson following shortly behind in third – whilst Pickford languishes in the bottom five.
The rise and rise of North Macedonia
North Macedonia are widely considered to be this year’s minnows, and for good reason too. They have a significantly smaller population than all the other qualifying teams (save for Wales, whose position as part of the United Kingdom with regard to football infrastructure and player pools gives lets them punch above their weight for obvious reasons). Finland and Slovakia – the third and fourth smallest nations competing – have over twice the population of the Southern European state.
Werner misses sitter in shock defeat! | Germany 1-2 North Macedonia | …
North Macedonia has only officially been a FIFA-affiliated team since 1994, chalking up a surprising number of points in qualifying since then. Yet arguably the team’s biggest achievement is their barnstorming 2-1 victory against Germany recently, made all the more special considering the fact it’s the first time the Germans have lost a qualifying game since England beat them 5-1 all the way back in 2001. They may prove a surprisingly tricky opponent and, all things considered, are in one of the easier groups. Watch this space!
Euro 2020: Full fixture list and dates
(All times shown in Central European Time (CET))
Group Stage
| Date | Fixture | Group | Time & city |
| Friday 11 June | Turkey vs Italy | A | 21:00, Rome |
| Saturday 12 June | Wales vs Switzerland | A | 15:00, Baku |
| Saturday 12 June | Denmark vs Finland | B | 18:00, Copenhagen |
| Saturday 12 June | Belgium vs Russia | B | 21:00, St Petersburg |
| Sunday 13 June | England vs Croatia | D | 15:00, London |
| Sunday 13 June | Austria v N. Macedonia | C | 18:00, Bucharest |
| Sunday 13 June | Netherlands v Ukraine | C | 21:00, Amsterdam |
| Monday 14 June | Scotland v Czechia | D | 15:00, Glasgow |
| Monday 14 June | Poland v Slovakia | E | 18:00, St Petersburg |
| Monday 14 June | Spain v Sweden | E | 21:00, Seville |
| Tuesday 15 June | Hungary v Portugal | F | 18:00, Budapest |
| Tuesday 15 June | France v Germany | F | 21:00, Munich |
| Wednesday 16 June | Finland v Russia | B | 15:00, St Petersburg |
| Wednesday 16 June | Turkey v Wales | A | 18:00, Baku |
| Wednesday 16 June | Italy v Switzerland | A | 21:00, Rome |
| Thursday 17 June | Ukraine v N. Macedonia | C | 15:00, Bucharest |
| Thursday 17 June | Denmark v Belgium | B | 18:00, Copenhagen |
| Thursday 17 June | Netherlands v Austria | C | 21:00, Amsterdam |
| Friday 18 June | Sweden v Slovakia | E | 15:00, St Petersburg |
| Friday 18 June | Croatia v Czechia | D | 18:00, Glasgow |
| Friday 18 June | England v Scotland | D | 21:00, London |
| Saturday 19 June | Hungary v France | F | 15:00, Budapest |
| Saturday 19 June | Portugal v Germany | F | 18:00, Munich |
| Saturday 19 June | Spain vs Poland | E | 21:00, Seville |
| Sunday 20 June | Italy v Wales | A | 18:00, Rome |
| Sunday 20 June | Switzerland v Turkey | A | 18:00, Baku |
| Monday 21 June | N. Macedonia v Netherl | C | 18:00, Amsterdam |
| Monday 21 June | Ukraine v Austria | C | 18:00, Bucharest |
| Monday 21 June | Russia v Denmark | B | 21:00, Copenhagen |
| Monday 21 June | Finland vs Belgium | B | 21:00, St Petersburg |
| Tuesday 22 June | Czechia vs England | D | 21:00, London |
| Tuesday 22 June | Croatia v Scotland | D | 21:00, Glasgow |
| Wednesday 23 June | Slovakia vs Spain | E | 18:00, Seville |
| Wednesday 23 June | Sweden vs Poland | E | 18:00, St Petersburg |
| Wednesday 23 June | Germany v Hungary | F | 21:00, Munich |
| Wednesday 23 June | Portugal v France | F | 21:00, Budapest |
First knockout Phase
| Date | Fixtures | Stage | Time & city |
| Saturday 26 June | 1. 2A v 2B 2. 1A v 2C |
Round-of-16 | 18:00, Amsterdam 21:00, London |
| Sunday 27 June | 3. 1C v 3 (D/E/F) 4. 1B v 3 (A/D/E/F) |
Round-of-16 | 18:00, Budapest 21:00, Seville |
| Monday 28 June | 5. 2D vs 2E 6. 1F v 3 (A/B/C) |
Round-of-16 | 18:00, Copenhagen 21:00, Bucharest |
| Tuesday 29 June | 7. 1D v 2F 8. 1E v 3 (A/B/C/D) |
Round-of-16 | 18:00, London 21:00, Glasgow |
Quarters, Semis and Final
| Date | Fixtures | Stage | Time & city |
| Friday 2 July | 1. Winner 6 v Winner 5 | Q-final | 18:00, St. P’burg |
| Friday 2 July | 2. Winner 4 v Winner 2 | Q-final | 21:00, Munich |
| Saturday 3 July | 3. Winner 3 v Winner 1 | Q-final | 18:00, Baku |
| Saturday 3 July | 4. Winner 8 v Winner 7 | Q-final | 21:00, Rome |
| Tuesday 6 July | 1. Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 | Semi-final | 21:00, London |
| Wednesday 7 July | 2. Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 | Semi-final | 21:00, London |
| Sunday 11 July | Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 | Final | 21:00, London |
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