The FIFA World Cup set to take place in Russia starting this month (on the 14th of June) and running into July is expected to be nothing if not an amazing spectacle. The first match is between Russia (the host country) versus Saudi Arabia on the 14th with the first stage of competition ending on the 19th. The round of 16 – when half of the teams are cut – will start on the 30th of June.
In this article I’m not really going to get into the team themselves – let’s be honest there’s nothing I could really say about a specific team that’s going to sway a football fan from changing sides and considering in my house alone we support 3 different countries, I can’t expect you to change your preferences!
Now, while I might not be able to get you to change sides, I’m pretty sure I can help you watch the teams that you are most interested in. One of the best tools on the market to watch sporting events like this is Kodi – there really is no requirement to pay for expensive and high-priced cable and satellite subscriptions when you can use this amazing tool instead.
The best part is that many channels are broadcasting the games around the world and most of them offer Kodi add-ons thank you can get directly from the official Kodi repository. I will also talk about some third-party add-ons that you can use with Kodi that will also give you access to the games.
Why You Need a VPN
Before I get into details about the Kodi add-ons, let’s talk about VPNs a little bit. You see even though you can use official Kodi add-ons to access the games; you still need a VPN as there are geographic restrictions at play.
What I mean by this is that some of the channels will be broadcasting games based on their own national teams and these matches will only be accessible within the country. If you are interested in watching one of these games instead of a match that’s playing in your country, then you need a way of accessing the services at that specific broadcaster. With a VPN like Shellfire VPN for example, you simply need to connect your Kodi device to a VPN server in the country you are interested in. After you connect, the VPN server will mask your actual IP address and make it appear as if you’re actually in that country.
Of course, even though you are using the official streams, you still need to be careful with Kodi. ISPs have gotten into the habit of throttling the connection speeds of Kodi users. This, unfortunately, impacts everybody in the household and not just the person watching the content. Fortunately, there is a workaround for this also.
When you use a commercial VPN like Shellfire VPN, you actually set up a secure and encrypted tunnel between your device and VPN servers. This tunnel completely blocks access from monitoring and stops your ISP or anyone else from determining your activities online.
What Kodi Add-On Can You Use to Watch FIFA 2018 in the USA?
In the US the FIFA 2018 live streams are going to be broadcast on Fox. You can either use the FoxSports Kodi add-on or watch the matches on Fox’s website or mobile apps. To install the FoxSports Kodi add-on follow the steps below.
- Open Kodi and go to the Add-ons section. Select the package installer icon (looks like a box opening).
- Click Install from Repository -> Kodi Add-on Repository -> SportsFox
-> Install and wait for the add-on enabled notification.
- Go back to the main home screen and select Add-ons -> Video Add-ons and select the add-on you’ve just installed.
- Sign in with your membership information (remember FoxSports offers a free seven day trial!) & start streaming!
What Kodi Add-On Can You Use to Watch FIFA 2018 in Canada?
While hockey might be the national sport in Canada, millions of Canadians came from somewhere else, and the World Cup is a big, big deal! If you’re interested in accessing it, you simply need to get on the CTV or TSN website. Games are completely free for Canadians from a Canadian IP address so make sure you use a VPN if you are outside of the country.
What Kodi Add-On Can You Use to Watch FIFA 2018 in the UK?
Often considered the home of football (or soccer depending on what part of the world you’re from), you can use either the BBC or ITV to access the games. The iPlayer WWW Kodi add-on is really good so follow the steps below to get it installed on your device.
- Open Kodi and go to the Add-ons section. Select the package installer icon (looks like a box opening).
- Click Install from Repository -> Kodi Add-on Repository -> iPlayer WWW -> Install and wait for the add-on enabled notification.
- Go back to the main home screen and select Add-ons -> Video Add-ons and select the add-on you’ve just installed to enjoy the games.
What Third Party Kodi Add-On Can You Use to Watch FIFA 2018?
Another option that you can explore is the third party Kodi add-ons. Definitely make sure that your VPN is active and working before you launch one of these.
SportsDevil
Probably the most well known of the sporting add-ons on Kodi, SportsDevil has all sorts of different sports available. On SportsDevil you can find streams on Wrestling, UFC, Boxing, Football (both NFL and FIFA) and much, much more. It’s a really popular add-on and definitely worth exploring. Check out our install guide here.
UK Turks Playlist
This add-on is not specific to sports like SportsDevil. Rather UK Turks Playlist offers lots and lots of UK specific content and if you recall from earlier, I did mention that both the BBC and ITV in the UK offer access. It’s a really good add-on, and if you’re interested in watching something else during the “boring” bits or while waiting for your team to get out of the locker room, then you should give UK Turks Playlist a look. Check out our UK Turks Playlist install guide.
Conclusion
There are many other channels offering specific language coverage also. However, the add-ons I’ve listed above should definitely let you enjoy most of the games. I wish you the best of luck cheering on your team!
