(VIDEO) How to Watch France vs. Spain Free Today: Full Livestream Guide for World Cup Semifinal by Country

France and Spain meet Tuesday in the first World Cup semifinal, and fans in a wide range of countries around the world can watch the match completely free, either through over-the-air broadcasts or ad-supported streaming platforms, without needing a paid subscription.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern time, 8 p.m. British Summer Time, 9 p.m. Central European Summer Time, 1 p.m. in Mexico City and 4 p.m. in Buenos Aires, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The match, which pits the tournament's top-ranked team, Spain, against third-ranked France, will decide which nation advances to face the winner of Wednesday's England-Argentina semifinal in Sunday's World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey..

Free broadcasts are available in a number of countries. In the United Kingdom, the match airs on ITV1 with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. BST ahead of the 8 p.m. kickoff, streaming free on ITVX and STV Player, though viewers will need a valid UK postcode, a free account and, for ITV specifically, a TV license to watch. In Ireland, the match streams free via RTÉ Player. In Australia, SBS On Demand carries every match of the tournament for free, requiring only a free account tied to an Australian postcode. In Brazil, the match is available through CazéTV on YouTube, while Belgium's coverage runs through RTBF and VRT, the Netherlands through NOS, Switzerland through SRF, RTS and RSI, and Turkey through TRT. France's own domestic broadcast runs on M6, with streaming through M6+, while Spain's domestic coverage is carried by RTVE, streaming through RTVE Play.

In the United States, the match is not available completely free through a streaming subscription, but FOX, which holds English-language broadcast rights, is accessible free over the air with a traditional antenna in markets where the network airs, in addition to being available through FOX One, DirecTV and fubo, all of which are currently offering free trial periods. Spanish-language coverage in the U.S. airs on Telemundo, streaming through Peacock. In Canada, the match airs on the free-to-air network CTV, requiring a TV provider login, as well as on TSN and the TSN+ streaming platform, which carries a monthly or annual subscription cost. In India, the match is available through Zee5, and in Mexico, Argentina and much of Latin America, free broadcasts are also expected through regional over-the-air networks.

For fans located outside of these specific countries, or those traveling abroad who find their usual streaming service blocked due to geographic restrictions, a virtual private network, or VPN, offers a common workaround. A VPN allows a device to appear as though it is located in a different country, enabling access to that country's free streaming platforms as if the user were physically present there. Multiple technology outlets covering the match, including TechRadar, FourFourTwo and Gizmodo, recommended using a VPN service such as Norton VPN or NordVPN, connecting to a server located in a country with free coverage, such as the UK, France or Spain, before opening the relevant streaming platform and creating a free account tied to that country if required. Outlets covering VPN usage for the tournament have generally emphasized that such tools are intended for legitimate purposes, including accessing a legally available service from another country while traveling, and have cautioned against using VPNs to access pirated or unauthorized streams of paid content.

On the pitch, France enters Tuesday's match unbeaten through six matches, having outscored opponents 16-2 while conceding just twice, with three consecutive clean sheets across its knockout matches against Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. Kylian Mbappé leads the tournament's Golden Boot race with eight goals, tied with Argentina's Lionel Messi, while midfielder Michael Olise leads the tournament outright with six assists. Tuesday's match also marks a symbolic moment for France coach Didier Deschamps, who has confirmed he will step down after the tournament regardless of the outcome, meaning the match falls on what could be one of his final games in charge, notably played on Bastille Day, France's national holiday.

Spain, the reigning European champions and top-ranked team heading into the tournament, has advanced on the back of the tournament's stingiest defense, conceding just a single goal across six matches and riding a run of six consecutive clean sheets before finally conceding in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium. That victory, like Spain's win over Portugal in the previous round, was settled by a late goal from substitute Mikel Merino. Spain is appearing in its first World Cup semifinal since winning the tournament outright in 2010.

Tuesday's match also renews one of international soccer's more heated recent rivalries. Spain has beaten France in each of the two nations' last two competitive meetings, winning 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semifinal and 5-4 in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal, with several members of the current French squad having been on the field for both defeats. The individual duel between Mbappé and 18-year-old Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal has become a particular subplot; Yamal leads their head-to-head knockout meetings 5-0, including that Euro 2024 semifinal win, though Yamal has scored only once at this year's tournament while managing a hamstring injury sustained earlier in the year.

Confirmed starting lineups for Tuesday's match show France fielding Mike Maignan in goal behind Jules Koundé, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Digne, with Adrien Rabiot and either Aurélien Tchouaméni or Manu Koné in midfield, supporting an attacking line of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé or Bradley Barcola, and captain Mbappé. Spain will start Unai Simón in goal behind Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella, with Rodri and either Fabián Ruiz or Pedri controlling midfield, supporting Dani Olmo, Álex Baena and Yamal behind striker Mikel Oyarzabal.

Whichever nation wins Tuesday's match will advance to Sunday's World Cup final, with the losing side instead facing the runner-up from Wednesday's England-Argentina semifinal in Saturday's third-place match in Miami. For fans around the world, the wide availability of free broadcast options for Tuesday's semifinal, spanning terrestrial television, ad-supported streaming and VPN-accessible platforms, means the match is likely to draw one of the largest global audiences of the tournament so far, regardless of where viewers happen to be watching from.