How to watch the World Cup in Portugal (for free)

Woman seen wearing a CR7 - Cristiano Ronaldo shirt and holds flag with his portrait while surrounded by other soccer fans during a Portugal match.
(Image credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)

Many pundits' dark horses to go deep at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Portugal story this year has — no doubt to his pleasure — been about one man's mission to put the cherry on top a sparkling career.

Portugal World Cup Streams

Cristiano Ronaldo may now be a little slower in the legs, but his nose for goal is no less effective. The 41-year-old now has an astonishing 145 goals for his country, and bagged a brace against Uzbekistan in the groups to just about keep at bay those who say he's no longer worth his place in the side. Playing in his sixth WC, it's surely the last chance that the arguable GOAT will get to win the big one.

But look through Roberto Martínez's squad and you'll find a throng of elite names that would all be worthy winners of a first ever World Cup for the proud soccer nation. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa, defenders Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, and midfielders Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rúben Neves are all ideal foils for CR7. And you wouldn't bet against a side as galvanized as this one by the tragic death of beloved teammate Diogo Jota last year.

In this article, we outline the World Cup broadcasters in Portugal and what you need to do if you're overseas and want to watch the "Seleção das Quinas" — including free live streams. There's also information below on Portugal's fixtures and information about Portugal's history in the FIFA World Cup.

Can I watch the World Cup for free in Portugal?

Yes. In total, 34 games will be shown for FREE in Portugal, including all of those featuring Portugal.

One game from every single World Cup 2026 matchday will be available to streamers without cost thanks to a combination of RTP, SIC, TVI and LiveMode TV. You can see a full breakdown of their matches below.

In other countries, free coverage is available for every game. They include:

Those visiting Portugal for the World Cup can tap into their home stream with Norton VPN — more on that below.

How to watch World Cup 2026 from anywhere

If you're away from Portugal and try to watch your your usual 2026 FIFA World Cup live streams, you'll quickly find that they're blocked. It's the same for viewers from the U.K., Australia or Ireland wanting to watch their coverage.

Fortunately, you can still stream every single game live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software makes your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. Ideal for soccer fans away on vacation or on business. Our streaming favorite is Norton VPN.

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Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, Norton VPN is good choice.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're overseas and want to view your Portuguese streaming service, you'd select Portugal from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head the relevant streaming platform and watch World Cup 2026.

How to watch World Cup 2026 in Portugal

For full coverage of all 104 games at this year's FIFA World Cup, the only option in Portugal is Sport TV.

On TV, subscribers are able to watch 92 games on Sport.TV5 with the remaining 12 on Sport.TV1. While online you'll need access to the Sport.TV streaming service that costs from €34.99/month.

34 games, however, are also available to watch absolutely free.

— 6 games on RTP (3 group games, 1 round of 32, 1 round of 16, Final)

— 7 games on SIC (3 group games, 1 round of 32, 1 round of 16, 1 QF, 1 SF)

— 7 games on TVI (4 group games, 1 round of 32, 1 QF, 1 SF)

— 34 games on LiveMode TV YouTube channel (1 game from every matchday)

It's important to note that, regardless of how far they progress, every Portugal game will be shown for free on Portuguese TV and streamers.

World Cup 2026 in Portugal: FAQ

What and when are Portugal's fixtures at the 2026 World Cup?

The potential route for Portugal through the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup plays out as follows:

Portugal vs Croatia (Rof32): Friday, July 3 at 1 a.m. CST / 7 p.m. ET (Thu.) STREAM FREE on SIC & LiveMode TV

Portugal vs Austria or Spain (Rof16): Monday, July 6 at 9 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on RTP & LiveMode TV

Quarter-final: Friday, July 10 at 9 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on TVI & LiveMode TV

Semi-final: Tuesday, July 14 at 9 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on SIC & LiveMode TV

Final: Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET STREAM FREE on RTP & LiveMode TV

What are the odds for Portugal to win the World Cup 2026?

Heading into their first knockout game, the DraftKings Sportsbook has Portugal as 6th favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup at +1400. It has France as favorites at +200, with Argentina and Spain just behind.

Portugal are currently placed 8th in the FIFA Men's World Rankings.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 17: Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K match between Portugal and Congo DR at Houston Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

What have Portugal's results so far been at the 2026 World Cup?

Unbeaten so far at the World Cup, Portugal finished second in Group K below Colombia having drawn twice and defeated only Uzbekistan. They're results were:

Portugal 1-1 DR Congo

Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan

Portugal 0-0 Colombia

What is Portugal's best performance at the FIFA World Cup?

Portugal have never won the FIFA World Cup. In the nation's history, they have only once reached the semi-final stage — that was in 1966 when the great Eusébio inspired the side to a third-place finish.

Portugal made the quarter-finals last time in Qatar, but were defeated 1-0 by Morocco.

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Contributor

Adam was the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles the publisher produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam can still be seen dusting his keyboard off to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide, having started his career at consumer champions Which?.

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