What Are International Friendlies and Why Do They Matter?

International friendlies are non-competitive football matches played between two national teams outside of official tournament or qualifying schedules. Unlike World Cup qualifiers or continental championships — such as the UEFA European Championship, Copa América, or AFCON — results of international friendlies do not count toward official competition standings or qualification points.

FIFA and the continental confederations designate specific international windows throughout the year when clubs are legally obligated to release contracted players to their national teams. These windows typically last one to two weeks and allow national team managers to assemble their squads, run training camps, and play one or two matches.

While the stakes are lower than competitive matches, international friendlies serve several important purposes:

• Auditioning new or uncapped players in a full international environment before a major tournament
• Testing tactical systems and new formations against high-quality opposition
• Building chemistry between players who play for different club teams during the season
• Fulfilling commercial and broadcasting agreements that fund national football federations
• Allowing fans to see their national team in action more frequently than qualifying schedules alone would permit

For fans, friendlies are often the most accessible way to see international football — tickets are easier to obtain, prices are lower, and the matches are broadcast on a wide range of platforms.

How to Find the International Friendly Schedule

Finding accurate upcoming fixture information is the first step. Third-party sports aggregators can lag behind announced fixture changes or venue updates, so always verify against official sources.

Official Sources for Fixture Schedules

• FIFA Match Centre — fifa.com/en/match-centre lists all upcoming international matches for every national association, including friendlies, with kickoff times in your local time zone.
• Your national federation's website — For US fans: ussoccer.com. For England: thefa.com. For European nations collectively: uefa.com. Each federation publishes confirmed fixtures with broadcast partner information.
• ESPN FC and BBC Sport — Both maintain updated football calendars showing international match dates alongside club fixtures.

Setting Up Notifications So You Never Miss a Match

1. Subscribe to your national team federation's official email newsletter — fixture announcements go out the moment dates are confirmed, often weeks ahead of public announcement.
2. Follow the federation's verified social media accounts on X (Twitter) and Instagram — they post fixture confirmations with dates, venues, opponents, and kickoff times within minutes of announcement.
3. Add a Google Calendar subscription if the federation offers one — many do via their website, so upcoming fixtures appear automatically in your calendar with alerts.
4. Enable push notifications in the official federation app if one exists — the US Soccer app and the England Football app both send match day reminders.

How to Watch International Friendlies in the United States

Broadcasting rights for international friendlies in the US are divided among multiple networks and streaming services. Which platform carries a particular match depends on the federations involved and existing rights agreements — no single service carries everything.

US Streaming and TV Platforms at a Glance

• ESPN / ESPN+ — Covers many European national team friendlies and select CONCACAF matches. An ESPN+ subscription ($10.99/month or bundled with Disney+ and Hulu) gives access to a wide catalog of international football including UEFA Nations League matches.
• FS1 and Fox Sports — The primary English-language home for USMNT matches. Most US Men's and Women's national team friendlies air on FS1 or FS2, sometimes with simulcast on the main Fox network for high-profile fixtures.
• Peacock (NBC) — Holds rights for England national team matches in the US, plus selected other European fixtures. Peacock Premium runs $7.99/month.
• Paramount+ and CBS Sports — Covers USMNT, USWNT, certain CONCACAF fixtures, and Copa América-related matches. The Paramount+ Essential plan runs $7.99/month.
• Univision, TUDN, and Telemundo — Spanish-language coverage of USMNT, the Mexican national team (El Tri), and Central and South American nations. Many Univision and Telemundo matches are broadcast free over the air — an HD antenna picks these up at no cost.

Step-by-Step: Finding the Right Service for Each Match

1. Search the match on Google or ESPN — the broadcaster is usually listed directly in search results under the fixture listing.
2. Go to the official federation website and click the specific fixture — broadcast partners are listed on the match detail page.
3. If no English-language option appears, check Univision.com or TUDN.com — they often hold rights for matches involving Latin American teams that English-language broadcasters skip.
4. Check ESPN's TV schedule at espn.com/watch/schedule — filter by football to see all upcoming international matches and which ESPN platform carries them.

How to Watch International Friendlies in the UK and Europe

In the UK, England home and away friendlies are typically shown on ITV1 or Channel 4 — both free-to-air channels. ITVX (ITV's streaming service) and Channel 4's streaming platform also stream these matches free with a UK IP address and a free account. Sky Sports and TNT Sports occasionally carry friendlies involving other European nations.

For Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, matches are usually carried by the devolved broadcasters. Check the Scottish FA, the FAW (Football Association of Wales), the IFA, and the FAI websites for confirmed broadcast partners for their respective national team fixtures.

European Country-by-Country Overview

• Germany — ARD and ZDF carry most DFB national team matches free-to-air, including friendlies.
• Spain — RTVE (La 1, free-to-air) and Movistar+ (subscription) share coverage of La Roja.
• France — TF1 airs most French national team matches free-to-air. beIN Sports covers additional fixtures.
• Italy — RAI carries Azzurri matches on free-to-air television (RAI 1 and RAI 2).
• Netherlands — NOS (public broadcaster) covers Oranje matches free-to-air.

DAZN has expanded its international football rights across multiple European countries. Check dazn.com to see if DAZN is available in your country and whether it carries international friendlies in your market.

How to Watch International Friendlies Abroad Using a VPN

If you are traveling outside your home country and want to access your existing streaming subscription to watch a friendly, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the most practical solution — provided your subscription's terms of service permit it.

Step-by-Step VPN Setup for Live Football

1. Choose a reliable VPN service. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Mullvad are consistently well-reviewed for streaming speed, server availability, and privacy. Avoid free VPN services — they throttle bandwidth and often fail on live streams.
2. Install the VPN app on your streaming device. Most major VPN providers offer apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.
3. Connect to a server in your home country before opening any streaming app. For example, if you have a US ESPN+ subscription, connect to a US-based server first.
4. Open the streaming app (ESPN+, Peacock, Paramount+, DAZN, etc.) and log in with your existing account credentials.
5. Navigate to the match — it should appear as available, just as it would at home.
6. If the stream fails to load or shows a geo-restriction error, disconnect the VPN, reconnect using a different server in the same country, and try again.

Important: Using a VPN may conflict with the terms of service of some streaming providers. Review your subscription agreement before using this method. VPN use is not illegal in most countries, but service providers may restrict accounts found to be circumventing geo-blocks.

How to Attend an International Friendly in Person

International friendlies are often the most accessible live football experience for fans — demand is lower than for qualifying matches or tournaments, ticket prices are reasonable, and you can frequently secure good seats even close to match day.

Finding and Buying Tickets

1. Check the host federation's official website first. For USMNT matches in the US, visit ussoccer.com/tickets. For England home matches, use the FA's official ticketing page at thefa.com or the Wembley Stadium box office. Official channels guarantee authentic tickets and face-value pricing.
2. Join the federation's supporter membership or loyalty program. US Soccer's supporter community and England's official supporters' club both offer presale access — members can buy before tickets go on general sale, which matters for high-demand fixtures against top nations.
3. Use the official ticketing partner. Most federations contract with authorized vendors such as SeatGeek, Ticketmaster, or AXS. Buy only from these or the official federation site to avoid counterfeit tickets.
4. Check verified resale platforms like StubHub or Vivid Seats if the match sells out. Friendlies sometimes see resale prices drop significantly in the days before the match as sellers move unsold inventory — patience can pay off.

Match Day Tips

• Arrive at least 60 to 90 minutes before kickoff — international venues at large stadiums have enhanced security screening that takes time.
• Review the stadium's prohibited items policy in advance. Many US venues require clear bags; food and drink rules vary by venue.
• Download your mobile ticket to your phone and take a screenshot as a backup — stadium Wi-Fi is often unreliable during large events and the app may not load.
• Check public transport options in advance; parking around major international venues fills up fast and is expensive.

Free and Low-Cost Ways to Follow International Friendlies

You do not need a paid subscription to follow every international friendly. Several legitimate free options exist across different regions and devices.

• Official federation YouTube channels — FIFA's YouTube channel and many national federation channels (search for the federation name + "official") stream matches free in territories where no active broadcast rights deal is in place. On match day, check for a live stream link pinned to the channel's homepage or community tab.
• Free over-the-air TV — In the UK, ITV1 and Channel 4 broadcast England friendlies free-to-air. In the US, Univision and Telemundo air USMNT and Latin American national team matches over the air — a basic HD antenna (available for $20-$40 at most electronics stores) picks these up at no ongoing cost.
• BBC Sounds for audio commentary — BBC Radio 5 Live provides live commentary on England and other international matches, and the BBC Sounds app is free to download and use globally without a VPN. Audio commentary is a solid fallback when no video stream is available.
• Sports bars and pubs — Many sports bars and British-style pubs hold commercial broadcasting licenses that include international football. Watching at a bar is free beyond food and drink, and the atmosphere during a big friendly can rival the experience at home.
• Free trials on streaming services — Peacock, Paramount+, and ESPN+ periodically offer free trials ranging from 7 to 30 days. Timing a trial signup around a major international window gives you free access to multiple friendlies at no cost.

Combining two or three of these strategies — a federation YouTube stream as primary, with a sports bar backup and BBC Sounds on your phone if both fail — means you will almost never miss a match you want to watch.