For all the controversies and heartbreak that have dogged the World Cup, Qatar 2022 has enthralled soccer fans everywhere. This Sunday, it's the World Cup final – Argentina vs France. Or as some pundits are calling it, Messi vs Mbappe. Need a Qatar 2022 soccer stream? You've come to the right place.
Date: Sunday 18th December 2022
Watch free: BBC iPlayer | ITVX
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
US soccer stream: FOX / FS1
Buy tickets: FIFA
We've got you covered with how to watch all the best World Cup final soccer streams, because this is a match you really don't want to miss. We're down to just two teams, after France beat Morocco 2-0 and Argentina toppled Croatia 3-0 in the semis. Who will prevail at Lusail Stadium on Sunday?
The early team news is in and it's not good for France. A mysterious flu-like illness that has been spreading through the France squad has hit a third player. Kingsley Coman is now in doubt for Sunday's huge World Cup final clash. Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano, who both fell ill prior to the Wednesday's win over Morocco, are said to be recovering well.
Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina team kicked off their Qatar 2022 campaign with a shock 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia but quickly recovered, overpowering Australia in the last 16 and the Netherlands in the quarters . A dream World Cup final now awaits Argentina captain Messi, 35, who has played in five World Cups for his country but has never won the trophy. Can he cap off a glittering career with football's biggest prize?
France and Argentina are both aiming for their third World Cup win. France were victorious at Russia 2018 and on home turf in 1998, while Argentina won at Mexico 1986 and at home in 1978.
If you want to watch World Cup final 2022 in all its glory from anywhere on the planet, then you're in the right place – with and without cable, in 4K HDR and even for free. Read on to find out how to watch World Cup 2022 final wherever you are in the world, which soccer streams you need and how to use a VPN if you're abroad at the moment and are looking to watch the World Cup football in Qatar.
Watch World Cup final 2022
We're down to the last game at Qatar 2022. Here is how to watch the World Cup 2022 final, with all the latest information on the upcoming live streams below:
Sunday 18th December 2022:
Watch Argentina vs France live stream – 3pm GMT (BBC iPlayer/ITVX) / 10am EST (FOX)
Watch World Cup final 2022 free
Watch World Cup final 2022 for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX and you'll get some of the most reliable and best quality soccer streams around. iPlayer will show the final in 4K HDR too, complete with good quality English commentary. Both streaming services are available to UK citizens even when you're out of the country.
Use a VPN to watch World Cup 2022 final free from abroad.
You will need to do this if you're a licence fee-paying Brit on their travels, otherwise you'll find yourself geo-blocked when trying to watch World Cup 2022 final from iPlayer and ITVX outside the UK.
We recommend ExpressVPN for the job. It's safe, reliable and offers a cast-iron 30-day money-back guarantee. Full details on ExpressVPN and how to use it just below...
Watch World Cup final 2022 from anywhere
You won't be able to watch World Cup final 2022 on your regular soccer stream service while traveling abroad. It will spot that you're in a foreign country and block you. You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though.
It's a straightforward piece of software which sets your device to appear as if it's in the right country, allowing you to watch any World Cup live stream from anywhere in the world.
We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
How to use a VPN for the World Cup final 2022
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. To watch World Cup final 2022 free, you may wish to choose 'UK' for BBC and ITV.
3. Then head over to BBC / ITV on your browser or device and enjoy the free World Cup final 2022 live streams!
Watch World Cup final 2022 in the USA
In the USA, you'll need Fox Sports to watch the 2022 World Cup final. Don't have cable? No problem. Respected streaming services Sling and Fubo TV both offer easy soccer streaming access to FOX and FS1 which are the two World Cup 2022 TV channels you'll need.
Remember, though, if you're a UK citizen abroad, you can use a VPN to watch World Cup 2022 free on iPlayer and ITVX.
Spanish-speaking cordcutters can stream every game, including the final, live on Peacock Premium (from $5/month).
Watch World Cup final 2022 in Canada
Cable network TSN has the rights to watch the 2022 World Cup final in Canada. That means that Canadians will need to add TSN to their cable TV package or subscribe to TSN for streaming-only for $19.99 a month or $199.90 per year.
FuboTV subscribers will not be able to watch World Cup 2022, unlike those in the US. That said, if you're a US citizen away from home and in Canada, you can use a VPN to watch World Cup 2022 on FuboTV while away, just like you would normally.
Watch World Cup final 2022 in Australia
If you're in Australia, local streaming service SBS on Demand will provide live coverage from Qatar to let you watch World Cup final 2022 Down Under.
Stuck away from your home in Oz at the moment? You'll need to use a VPN to access the free SBS live stream without being geo-blocked.
Watch World Cup final 2022 in UK
Viewers in the UK can watch the World Cup final 2022 live on the BBC, ITV, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, STV and STV Player. You can also watch with Welsh commentary on S4C.
Although the BBC and ITV have been alternating games, both channels will broadcast the 2022 World Cup final live on at 3pm GMT on 18th December.
Watch World Cup 2022 in 4K
Fans in the USA can stream the World Cup final in 4K HDR via Fubo TV while Fox subscribers can watch in 4K HDR on television. Comcast Xfinity X1 subscribers can watch in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR. Happy with re-runs? Free streaming service Tubi will make the final available in 4K 30 minutes after the final whistle has blown.
In the UK, the BBC has streamed the "majority" of its 33 live games in 4K Ultra HD and HDR, and we'd expect Sunday's final to join that cohort.
Take a look at our full guide for all the details on watching World Cup 2022 in 4K HDR.
World Cup 2022: not been watching?
In case you've been living under a rock for the past week, let's rundown what's been happening at the World Cup 2022.
Group Stage
Lionel Messi's Argentina came into the tournament unbeaten in their past 36 fixtures, but were humbled 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history. Ranked outside FIFA's top 50, the Green Falcons swooped to a stunning victory thanks to Salem Al Dawsari's sublime skill and devilish shot from the edge of the area which hooped around goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
What followed were more slide tackles than you'd see on a Sunday League quagmire, but the Saudis deserved their victory and stood a great chance of making the last 16. Sadly, it was not to be. What followed for the Green Falcons were two successive defeats, first to a stubborn Poland and second to some fine moments from a Mexico team that took their chances when presented. That same courageous attacking game that had humbled Argentina left them all too open to more defensive opponents.
Robert Lewandowski's Poland were the team that made it through to the knockouts, despite losing to Argentina in their final game, and it got seriously tense for about 20 minutes. While the scores in both games were 2-0, Poland were two yellow cards or an Argentina or Mexico goal away from being knocked out. Drawing lots looked like a serious possibility. So, Group C ended with Messi's hopes of lifting the World Cup once more alive, and Lewandowski finally picking up his very first goal at the World Cup finals.
So, Argentina rolled on, despite that shock in their first game, but there was one big giant already slain in the Gulf. Germany took an early lead against Japan in Group E but an uncharacteristic lack of killer instinct from the four-time winners meant Hansi Flick's side succumbed to a vibrant Samurai Blue 2-1 to lose their first game of a World Cup for the second tournament running.
Like Argentina's struggles in recent tournaments, the Germans looked weighed down by history but in Jamal Musiala have one of the finest youngsters in the tournament. Indeed he and Die Mannschaft managed to shake off that expectation and play with freedom and verve and against a vey good Spain side in what was one of the highest quality games of the tournament so far. The two shared the points and that looked enough for Germany after Costa Rica beat Japan but things took a nasty twist.
Speaking of Spain, la Roja produced the performance of the first round of matches with a 7-0 shellacking of a hapless Costa Rica. No team in the tournament can match Sergio Busquets, Pedri and Gavi for such a mix of style, vision and tactical awareness and, though the former is old enough to be the other two's father, they combine with beautiful ease.
Right-winger Ferran Torres will be glad to have scored twice in the fixture, not least to stay in the good books of coach Luis Enrique, who is the father of his girlfriend Sira, a professional show-jumper. That said, Enrique will always play Ferran, "otherwise my daughter will come after me and chop off my head", he says. That said, it took the introduction of a real centre forward, Alvaro Morata, to get the ball in the net against Germany in a game that the Spanish squad, rightly or wrongly, will feel they should have won.
Spain will probably feel the same way, and quite justifiably, about their final group game against Japan. Having led 1-0 in a first half that they utterly dominated, La Roja somehow contrived to lose 2-1. Goalkeeper Unai Simón didn't exactly look blameless after failing to save Ritsu Doan's shot, having got a solid hand to the ball, but the second goal is the one that will go down in German and Japanese footballing folklore for very different reasons.
The cross for Ao Tanaka's finish looked to have been struck with the ball very much over the byline but it was given nonetheless. The Samurai Blue held on for an impressive 40 minutes to send the Germans packing from the group stages for two World Cups in a row, despite Die Mannschaft's win over Costa Rica. Cue on-pitch celebrations for the Samurai Blue as if they'd won the whole tournament. If they can beat Spain and Germany, why not Brazil and France too?
The third big shock of World Cup 2022 came in the second round of Group F fixtures when Belgium's golden generation were taken down by two late goals from Morocco. This was not the tonic after an insipid opening game display when the Red Devils beat an exciting looking Canada 1-0. Sadly, the Canadians are now World Cup toast despite scoring one of the fastest goals in World Cup history against Croatia. The Vatreni responded with four of their own putting them on top Group F, on level points with Morocco.
Indeed it was these two that ended up qualifying for the last 16 after Belgium failed to find the net, despite ample opportunity, in their 0-0 final group game with Croatia. A 2-1 win for Morocco against Canada meant that the Atlas Lions topped the group.
Over in Group B, England looked good in their 6-2 victory over Iran but World Cup bogey team USA proved another thorn in the Three Lions' paw as the world witnessed a contender for most boring game of the tournament, in week one. Gareth Southgate's tactics left England's creative middle too understaffed to break down the USMNT's three-man midfield, and what chances that came from the flanks were well defended by the Americans. The nation called for change and they got it as England took down Wales 3-0 in their final Group B game to qualify top. A 4-3-3 of their own, involving Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson, did the trick with the two Manchester men proving their worth. They scored all three goals.
Sadly, that meant goodbye for Wales, both to the World Cup and their golden generation which has put Welsh football back on the map. Gareth Bale left the field at half-time. His days turning out for the Dragons look numbered. Time for the FAW to rip it up and start again.
It was a sad farewell for Iran too, who went down 1-0 to a late goal from the US. Christian Pulisic proved the heartbreaker as tearful Iranians left the tournament to head back to a country in political turmoil. The players caved under pressure to sing their national anthem at the start of the game having refused to do so in support of anti-government protests back home in their previous Group B matches. Their moment at Qatar 2022 will not be forgotten.
Also in good form are France who were the first team through to the knockouts after dispatching both Australia and Denmark. Spoilt man-child Kylian Mbappe has been at his zippy best, scoring once and providing a delicious back flick in the build up to Olivier Giroud's tap-in first. The evergreen former Arsenal and Chelsea forward has now surpassed Thierry Henry's France record, despite many doubting whether he is actually any good or not. Impossibly handsome and good at football: some people get all the fun. Les Bleus may have Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante injured, but they still look one of the teams to beat.
It's the Socceroos who joined Les Bleus in the knockouts after Australia beat Denmark, despite Tunisia running things seriously close with victory over France.
When Richarlison pulls on a Brazil shirt, he turns into Pele. He may only have one goal for Tottenham since his summer move from Everton, but when the 25-year-old wears canary yellow he becomes a beast. His brace against Serbia – the second a ludicrous touch and scissor volley without the ball touching the ground – mean he has nine goals in his last seven internationals for a country who look eerily good and potentially the team to beat. The only chance anyone else has is if goalkeeper Alisson's decision to shave off his beard has some kind of Samson-like effect on his play.
It wasn't Richarlison who scored the only goal as Brazil beat Switzerland 1-0 to qualify for the knockouts, nor was it Vincius Junior, Neymar, Jesus nor anyone of their embarrassment of riches in attack. It was the lesser-striking but ever-necessary Casemiro that had the honours. Elsewhere in Group G, Serbia and Cameroon played out an incredible 3-3 draw, leaving second place in that pool very much up for grabs.
That set things up nicely for another shock in final Group G games. Cameroon took down the mighty Brazil 1-0 with an injury time goal from Vincent Aboubakar. It was the first shot on target that anyone had registered against Brazil in the whole tournament. Aboubakar, who was on a yellow card, quite rightly took off his shirt and swung it about his head as he celebrated with his fans, only to have to head over to the referee, give the official a high-five and accept his second yellow and leave the field. Doubtless a moment which will go down in World Cup legend but sadly it was all for nought with Switzerland's victory over Serbia in the other game consigning the Indomitable Lions to third place in the group despite their historic win.
The game of the first week was probably Portugal 3-2 Ghana in Group H. Goalless after 65 minutes, all hell broke loose after Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five different World Cups with a nerveless penalty. Ghana equalised, Portugal then went 3-1 ahead – goalscorer Joao Felix was six when CR7 scored in his first tournament in 2006 – only for the Black Stars to shoot back with an 89th-minute strike. In the dying moments, a quick piece of thinking from Inaki Williams – who channelled his inner Dion Dublin in hiding behind Selecao keeper Diogo Costa to spring out and nearly dispossess him – nearly secured an improbable draw.
Portugal's passage to the knockouts was confirmed when they beat Uruguay 2-0 in a fascinating game that neither deserved to lose. The Europeans can thank a lock of Ronaldo's hair and one of the cruelest handball penalty decisions you could imagine. La Celeste still had fate almost entirely in their own hands, however. A win in their final game against second-placed Ghana would do the trick, so long as South Korea didn't beat Portugal by more goals than Uruguay could manage, or the same number.
It's wasn't an easy one to imagine after the tepid performance of Son Heung-min and his countrymen in their 3-2 loss to the Black Stars but, guess what? That's exactly what happened. While Ghana didn't quite manage to get their revenge on Luis Suarez for 2010 – they lost to Uruguay 2-0 – South Korea took down Portugal 2-1 thanks to an injury time winner from Hwang Hee-chan. That left Uruguay and the Koreans on the same points, with the same goal difference and a draw in their head-to-head record, meaning that South Korea qualified with more goals scored.
Perhaps the best story came in Switzerland's 1-0 win against Cameroon, where Breel Embolo scored the winner but didn't celebrate after scoring against the country of his birth. Sure, there have been a few 0-0 Christmas turkeys – the less said about Poland vs Mexico the better, while Belgium were so bad despite beating Canada 1-0 they must appear here – but this footballing jamboree never fails to disappoint and World Cup 2022 has been no different. With the group stages over it was time to head to the knockouts. With the last 16 up next, Qatar 2022 is shaping up very nicely indeed.
Last 16
It was then over to the knockouts where the quiet but confident Netherlands team took on the USA, with the former having navigated Group A as safe winners thanks in no small part to the stewardship of the hugely experience Louis van Gaal.
Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong has consigned Qatar to a 2-0 defeat in the final group encounter. That loss sealed another unwanted record for the hosts who left the contest as the only home nation in history to have failed to have registered a goal at the finals.
It was another assured showing for the Oranje who had things largely done and dusted by the end of the first half when they led 2-0. While Gakpo didn't manage to get on the scoresheet – he has scored in every game up until then – the Netherlands simply out-classed their none-too-shabby opposition. The game finished 3-1, the USMNT went home and people began talking about this Dutch team in a much more serious light.
That same day Argentina took on a plucky Australia that had finished second in Group D, and they certainly gave Messi and his men a run for their money. Two goals up, courtesy of Messi and Julian Alvarez, Argentina were cruising until an Australian shot from outside the box took a wicked deflection and found its way into Emiliano Martínez's net. It was then backs to the wall for the Albicelestes as the Socceroos piled on the pressure, with Garang Kuol coming seriously close to an injury time equaliser. That's the way it finished, though, and Argentina celebrated in front of their fans as if they'd made it to the final. They'll need a better showing than that in their quarter-final match-up against the Netherlands if they're to get to the showpiece finish, though.
France against Poland was initially not the cake-walk many had expected, at least up until the 44th minute when Olivier Giroud finally became France's all-time top scorer with 52 goals to his name. The eastern europeans had looked arguably the more together team but it was France's quality that told in the end. France simply outshone them in the second 45 with two top drawer goals from Kylian Mbappe, quickly showing his teammate Giroud that he won't have that record for long. The PSG man's tally stands at 33. He's just 23 years old.
Senegal had finished Group A as runners up, behind the Dutch, after a well-contested 2-1 against Ecuador. They took on England in their last 16 encounter but had to do so without two of their very best players: Sadio Mane and Idrissa Gueye.
The game began a little slow, with the ball very much England's for much of the first half, but it wasn't until the 38th minute that the Three Lions made their possession count when Jordan Henderson turned in Jude Bellingham's cross. Harry Kane secured it with a confident finish when put through on goal just before half-time. Bukayo Saka made it three after the break. England will face an altogether tougher opponent in France in Saturday's quarter-final. The Lions of Teranga will have to roar again another time.
Day three of the knockouts was a chance for Brazil to show the world that everyone else should be scared. Four first-half goals, including two inside the first 15 minutes, put a quick and cruel end to South Korea's World Cup dream. Really, it could have been more. Brazil's irresistible forward line broke through the Korean defence again and again. It seems that the Koreans had turned up to actually play football. So Brazil played football. The consolation goal from substitute Paik Seung-ho was not really much to celebrate.
The earlier game was certainly a much more interesting contest, particularly when Japan's Daizen Maeda opened the scoring just before half-time with a poached goal from a crossed free-kick. Ivan Perisic answered back just after the break with a pin-point header from almost exactly the same situation. Despite chances for both sides, it went on to extra time and ultimately a penalty shootout which Croatia won 3-1 thanks to heroics from goalkeeper Livakovic and some distinctly average Japanese spot kicks. Croatia will need more than that if they're to beat Brazil in the quarter finals.
Quarter-finals
The action started with Croatia vs Brazil. Croatia had met Brazil four times, losing three and drawing one, so the omens were not good. Neymar opened the scoring but Bruno Petković equalised three minutes from the end, leaving Brazil deflated. Extra time led to penalties and Brazil's first kicker, Rodrygo, has his saved. When Marquinhos sliced his wide, it was all over for favourite Brazil and Croatia moved onto the semi-finals.
Argentina took a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands and appeared to be cruising into the semis... until Wout Weghorst pulled one back in the 83rd minute, then scored another in the 101st minute. A penalty shoot-out ensured and Argentina made it through after two Dutch players missed from the spot.
Portugal vs Morocco was a huge match for many reasons. Could Morocco become the first African team to make it into a World Cup semi-final? Yes they could. Youssef En-Nesyri put Morocco 1-0 ahead in the 42nd minute and not even super-sub Cristiano Ronaldo could get an equaliser.
England vs France, the last of the quarter-finals, was a real heartbreaker. France pulled 1-0 ahead in the first half, but England's Kyle Walker continued to shut down France Kylian Mbappe, and Bukayo Saka won a penalty for England. Captain Harry Kane beat Hugo Lloris with a net-buster. But it was not England's day – France's Olivier Giroud scored again in the 78th minute and Harry Kane missed his chance to level the match after Bukayo Saka won a penalty. The whistle blew and France became the first reigning world champions to reach the World Cup semi-finals since Brazil in 1998.
Semi-finals
Argentina and Croatia was a cagey semi-final. Each team had won two previous meetings, and with a place in the World Cup final at stake, nobody wanted to put a foot wrong. The game opened up after Messi banged in a penalty and then linked up with Álvarez, who scored in the 39th and 69th minute. Croatia went for all-out attacked but it wasn't enough. The game ended 3-0 to Argentina, who made it into the World Cup final
France vs Morocco was a real thriller. France's Theo Hernandez fired in a cracking volley after four minutes and 39 seconds, to clock the second-fastest goal in World Cup semi-final history. Morocco's rock-solid defense stayed strong but France eventually won 2-0 to set up a final against Argentina.
