How to watch Champions League 2026/27 — it's FREE

Sep 08, 2026 - 19:07

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How to watch Champions League 2026/27 — it's *FREE*

Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates after the team's victory in the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and Olympique de Marseill

Champions League 2026/27 Dates: September 8, 2026 → June 5, 2027
Stream 7 games free this week on RTÉ Player & Virgin Media Play
Unlock your free stream with NordVPN (save 75%)

Watch the Champions League for free as the 2026/27 campaign gets underway tonight. Sixteen games will be played out across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with Real Madrid vs Inter, Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid and Napoli vs Arsenal among the highlights.

Not excited yet? Here’s more: RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play will be streaming seven games for free to viewers in Ireland this week with English commentary.

But how can you watch The Champions League 2026/27 on RTÉ and Virgin Media from anywhere? Can you access the free UCL streams in the UK and the US too? And what games will be shown on the service.

Here’s our simple guide to how to watch the 2026/27 Champions League for free from anywhere in the world using NordVPN.

Champions League Free Games and Channels

Virgin Media Play and RTE Player have eight games available for free for you this week:

All times in BST

Tuesday (September 8):
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (5.45pm) - Virgin Media Play
Real Madrid vs Inter Milan (8pm) - Virgin Media Play
Wednesday (September 9):
Barcelona vs Feyenoord (5.45pm) - Virgin Media Play
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (8pm) - RTÉ Player
Arsenal vs Sporting (8pm) - Virgin Media Play
Thursday (September 10)
Fenerbahce vs Roma (5.45pm) - Virgin Media Play
Bayern Munich v Bodo/Glimt (8pm) - Virgin Media Play
Man Utd vs Sabah (8pm) - RTÉ Player

RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play will be streaming the Champions League for free to Irish residents.

To watch RTÉ: visit the RTÉ website or download the RTÉ Player App (iOS / Android ).

To watch Virgin Media Play: visit the Virgin Media Play website or download the Virgin Media Play App (iOS / Android)

Both RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play are free and come with English commentary.

OUTSIDE IRELAND? ACCESS FREE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STREAMS FROM ANYWHERE WITH NORDVPN

How to watch Champions League 2026/27 for free from anywhere

Although RTÉ and Virgin Media Play are some of our favorite streaming platforms for the 2026/26 Champions League, they are only available in Ireland.

Football lovers traveling outside the Emerald Isle can still access these free Champions League streams by using a VPN.

There are lots of VPN's but NordVPN is our pick to unblock RTE and Virgin Media Play to stream The Champions League like a pro.... and you can save 70% right now.

It's really easy to use a VPN to watch RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting Canada and want to watch your free Irish Virgin Media Play stream - you'd select Ireland from the options.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to the Virgin Media Play website, sign in, and watch the Champions League for free.

RTÉ and Virgin Media Play Q+A

RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play are two of our favourite streaming services for Irish residents, offering a host of live sports as well as an abundance of great TV shows.

Among the events we've enjoyed on these platforms over the past year are Gaelic football, the Six Nations, and horse racing. You can't forget the Traitors Ireland either.

RTÉ recommends an internet speed of at least 5–10 Mbps for quality streaming.

Which devices can I watch RTÉ with?

Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, and Fire TVs)
Android TV (please note: some models may not be supported)
Android (Mobile & Tablet – Android 7.0 and above)
Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
Google TV (including Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
Freely
Freesat (please note: some models may not be supported)
Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes – some models may not be supported)
iOS (iPhone & iPad – iOS 14 and above)
LG Smart TVs (2016–2024 models)
NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware version 11.5.0)
PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
Roku (Stick & Roku OS-powered TVs – minimum firmware version 11.5.0)
Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and newer models)
Sky (Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream puck)
Virgin Media (360, Stream, and TiVo)
YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, and TalkTalk boxes)
Xbox (One, Series X, and Series S)

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Jacob is a journalist and editor based in the UK. He studied Specialist Sports Journalism at the University of Derby, graduating with First-Class Honours. He has contributed articles to Football League World and previously worked at Yeovil Town Football Club. Jacob’s expertise spans streaming services and sports, with a particular passion for football, cricket, and rugby union.