Why You Can Trust CNET Portugal vs. Sweden Livestream: How to Watch International Friendly Soccer From Anywhere
The Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques hosts this warmup match between these two European heavyweights.
Portugal begin their preparations for this summer's Euro 2024 tournament with an international friendly on Thursday against a Sweden side looking to impress their new boss.
The hosts look likely to be fielding something of an experimental side for their first game of the year, with coach Roberto Martínez set to be without a host of big-name players, including Diogo Dalot, João Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otávio, Rúben Neves, Vitinha, and João Félix, while Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be rested.
Thursday's game marks Jon Dahl Tomasson's first match in charge of Sweden, with the former Denmark international looking to get the team back on track after they missed out on Euro 2024 -- the first time the nation has failed to qualify for the tournament in over three decades.
These two sides last met four years ago in a UEFA Nations League tie that saw Portugal claim a 3-0 win at home, thanks to a Bernardo Silva strike and a brace from Diogo Jota.
Below, we'll outline the best TV streaming services to use to watch the game live wherever you are in the world.
Man City's Bernardo Silva scored the last time Portugal played Sweden.
Portugal vs. Sweden: When and where?
Portugal take on Sweden at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques in Guimarães, on Thursday, March 21. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. WET local time in Portugal. That makes it a 3:45 p.m. ET or 12:45 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada, a 7:45 p.m. GMT kick-off in the UK, and a 6:45 a.m. AEDT start on Friday, March 22 in Australia.
How to watch the Portugal vs. Sweden game online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 35% -- the equivalent of $8.32 a month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream the Portugal vs. Sweden game in the US
Thursday's game is on Fox Soccer Plus. If you don't have the channel as part of your cable lineup, it can be streamed via Sling TV.
Sling TV's Blue plan includes Fox Soccer Plus, making it a great option for those wanting to watch international soccer action. It's $40 a month ($45 in some places) and includes over 40 channels, including other sports channels like ESPN. In order to watch this match, however, you'll also need Sling's Sports Extra bundle. This adds a further 10 sports channels for an additional $11 a month, including Fox Soccer Plus, which is broadcasting this match live in the US.
Livestream Portugal vs. Sweden in the UK
Broadcast rights in the UK for this game are with Viaplay, with kick-off set for 7.45 p.m. GMT on Thursday evening.
You'll need to be a subscriber to Viaplay's Total package to watch its coverage of this international friendly, which is priced at £15 per month or £144 per year.
Viaplay currently has the UK broadcast rights to the United Rugby Championship, La Liga soccer, plus the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and Champions Hockey League.
Livestream Portugal vs. Sweden in Canada
If you want to stream this game live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to DAZN Canada.
A DAZN subscription currently costs CA$25 a month or CA$200 a year and will also give you access to the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League, plus EFL Championship soccer, Six Nations rugby and WTA tennis.
As well as dedicated apps for iOS and Android, there's a wide range of support for set-top boxes and smart TVs.
Livestream the Portugal vs. Sweden game in Australia
Football fans Down Under can watch this international friendly fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is also showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.
With exclusive rights to international football as well as every EPL match live this season, plus German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.
If you're already an Optus network customer you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 per month. If you're not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25.
Quick tips for streaming international soccer using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming soccer may vary.
- If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
- If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.