VPNs and the World Cup: why you need one to enjoy football to the fullest

The World Cup is here. And if you're one of those who live it to the fullest—watching matches from your mobile in the bar, traveling, connecting to any WiFi you can find, or trying to watch your country's broadcast from abroad—a VPN can make the difference between a perfect experience and cutting out at the worst moment.

In this article, we explain what a VPN is for during the World Cup, what situations it can solve for you, and how to access the best on the market for much less than you think.

What a VPN is for during the World Cup

A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your connection and hides your IP address. Translated into the real world of football, that means several very specific things.

Watching region-blocked matches

Depending on where you are, some official broadcasts may be geo-blocked. If you're traveling abroad and want to watch the match on your country's channel, a VPN connects you to a server in Spain (or wherever you want) and you access it as if you were there.

The same goes the other way around: if you want to watch a foreign broadcast with better coverage or without ads, connect to a server in the country in question and you're good to go.

Security on public WiFis

Bar, airport, hotel, stadium. The World Cup is experienced everywhere, and on all those public networks, your connection is practically open. Anyone with basic knowledge can intercept what you're doing: see which websites you visit, capture credentials, monitor your activity.

With an active VPN, all your traffic is encrypted. No matter which network you use, no one can get in the middle.

Comparing flight and accommodation prices

If you're moving to watch matches live or simply looking for a flight for the return trip, airline and hotel platform prices vary depending on where you're browsing from. By connecting to servers in different countries, you can see if there are price differences and choose the best option. The trick is to clear cookies, open an incognito window, connect to the server of the country you want to try, and compare.

Total privacy while browsing

During the World Cup, we use the internet more than usual: real-time results, social networks, streaming apps, merchandise purchases. All that leaves a trace. A VPN prevents your ISP, advertising websites, and trackers from building a detailed profile of your browsing habits.

The best VPNs for the World Cup

NordVPN: the most complete for streaming and speed

NordVPN is one of the most solid names in the market. With over 6,000 servers in 111 countries, it is especially good for unlocking streaming content with high speed. It has an automatic Kill Switch, DNS leak protection, and its Threat Protection feature blocks ads and trackers.

For the World Cup, its strong point is speed: you can watch matches in HD without buffering even when connected to a distant server. Additionally, it allows up to 10 simultaneous devices, so it protects your mobile, laptop, and Smart TV all at once. If you want to know how to access NordVPN for a fraction of the official price, on Sharingful you can share a NordVPN account from £2.17/month.

Proton VPN: the most private, for those who trust no one

Proton VPN comes from the team behind ProtonMail and its philosophy is privacy by design. Servers in over 60 countries, independently audited no-logs policy, AES-256 encryption, and its Stealth protocol, which disguises VPN traffic as normal HTTPS and is especially useful if you're in a country with restrictions.

If what matters most to you is that no one—not your ISP, not the hotel network, not anyone—knows what you're doing online, Proton VPN is the option. You can access it by sharing a Proton VPN account through Sharingful from £1/month. And if you already use ProtonMail or Proton Drive, with Proton Unlimited you have the entire ecosystem in one shared plan: VPN, encrypted email, storage, and password manager.

CyberGhost: the easiest to use, ideal if you're not tech-savvy

CyberGhost stands out for its ease of use and its servers optimized for streaming. It has over 7,000 servers in 100 countries and a very intuitive interface: you select "optimized for streaming" and it automatically connects you to the most suitable server for what you want to watch.

No-logs policy, Kill Switch, ad and malware blocking, and support for up to 7 simultaneous devices. A good option if you want something that works from the first moment without configuring anything.

Which one to choose?

All three are solid, and the difference in everyday use during the World Cup is not huge. If you want to watch geo-blocked matches with the best speed, NordVPN is the most powerful option. If your priority is privacy and security, Proton VPN has no rival. If you're looking for something simple that works without complications, CyberGhost is the most intuitive choice. You can see a detailed analysis in the complete comparison of NordVPN vs Proton VPN if you still have doubts.

Where there is a notable difference between the three is in the price.

Access a premium VPN for much less with Sharingful

The official price of these VPNs can range from £3 to £12 per month per user. But with Sharingful, you can share the subscription with other users and pay only a fraction of that cost: shared NordVPN from £2.17/month, Proton VPN Plus from £1/month, and Proton Unlimited from £1.29/month with VPN, email, drive, and passwords included.

The operation is the same: each user has their own independent profile, their own settings, and their private history. Sharingful manages payments automatically, without having to coordinate with anyone or make transfers. If you're curious about how it works in practice, here is the guide to getting Proton Unlimited almost free with Sharingful.

How to activate the VPN before the match

The process is the same on any VPN and any device. Download the app, open the app and select the server of the country you want to connect to, press connect, and you can open the streaming platform or the website where you want to watch the match. From the moment you connect to the VPN until you're watching the match, it takes no more than two minutes.

A VPN is not just for the World Cup, of course. But the World Cup is a good time to activate it and notice what it means to browse with an encrypted connection and without geographical restrictions. And with the prices it has on Sharingful, there's not much excuse not to have it.