How to watch Croatia vs Ghana: live stream the World Cup 2026 match

Croatia and Ghana meet in a decisive Group L clash on Friday, June 27th, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Both teams enter the final group stage match with their Round of 16 fate on the line. Croatia sits third in the group on 3 points after a loss to England and a narrow win over Panama, while Ghana holds second place with 4 points following a win over Panama and a draw with England. A win for Croatia likely sends them through; Ghana controls their own destiny with a draw.

The match kicks off at 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT in Philadelphia (10:00 PM BST in the UK, 11:00 PM CEST in central Europe, 7:00 AM AEST on June 28th in Australia). Croatia fans can watch free on HRT in Croatia, while Ghana supporters can tune in on SuperSport across sub-Saharan Africa. Fans worldwide can access free English-language streams via BBC iPlayer or SBS On Demand with a VPN.

Where to watch Croatia vs Ghana

Country	Streaming service	Price	Local kickoff time	Notes
United States	Fox Sports / Telemundo / Tubi	Cable login / Free OTA / Free (VOD 30 min after)	5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT, June 27th	Fox Sports requires cable; Telemundo free OTA; Tubi VOD only
Croatia	HRT	Free	11:00 PM CEST, June 27th	Free, all Croatia matches
Ghana	SuperSport	Paid (DStv subscription)	10:00 PM GMT, June 27th	All 104 matches, paid
United Kingdom	BBC iPlayer	Free	10:00 PM BST, June 27th	Free account required
Australia	SBS On Demand	Free	7:00 AM AEST, June 28th	Free, all 104 matches
Canada	CTV / TSN	Free / Paid	5:00 PM ET, June 27th	CTV free for select matches; TSN paid for full coverage

How to use a VPN to watch the World Cup 2026 for free

HRT streams the match free in Croatia, BBC iPlayer carries it free in the UK, and SBS On Demand has all 104 matches free in English in Australia. All three are geo-restricted to their home country, but a VPN lets you watch from anywhere – see our full FIFA World Cup 2026 free streaming guide for every country.

1. Choose a reliable VPN - I recommend NordVPN, now with 75%% OFF
2. Download the VPN and create an account
3. Connect to a server in the UK or Australia for a free English broadcast
4. Go to the broadcaster's website and start streaming the matches

Croatia vs Ghana live coverage

Why you need a VPN to watch Croatia vs Ghana

Croatia vs Ghana streams free in several countries, but broadcasters geo-block their streams to viewers outside their home region. HRT in Croatia, BBC iPlayer in the UK, and SBS On Demand in Australia all restrict access based on your IP address. When you try to watch from abroad, you see a blocked-access screen instead of the match.

A VPN fixes this by routing your connection through a server in the broadcaster's country. When you connect to a UK VPN server and visit BBC iPlayer, the site sees a UK IP address and grants you full access to the live stream. The same technique works for any geo-restricted broadcaster.

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana free with a VPN - detailed guide

Choose and subscribe to a VPN

NordVPN is our top recommendation for streaming Croatia vs Ghana on platforms like BBC iPlayer, SBS On Demand, and HRT. Plans start at $3.49/month with a two-year subscription. In our testing, it delivered fast, stable connections for HD streaming and consistently accessed all major World Cup broadcasters without interruptions. It also includes Smart DNS, making it easy to watch on smart TVs and other devices that don't support VPN apps. Every plan is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free during the tournament.

Install the VPN app on your device

Download the NordVPN app for your platform — Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Android TV. The installation takes under two minutes. Sign in with the account you created in step 1. For smart TVs without a native app, configure Smart DNS through your NordVPN account dashboard or install the VPN on your router to protect every device on your network.

Connect to a VPN server in the UK

Open the NordVPN app and connect to a United Kingdom server to access BBC iPlayer. NordVPN automatically selects the fastest available UK server, but you can manually pick a specific city (London, Manchester, Glasgow) if you prefer. The connection establishes in 3-5 seconds. If you'd rather watch on SBS On Demand, connect to an Australia server instead. For HRT's Croatian-language stream, connect to a Croatia server. Need help switching locations? See our guide on how to change your location with a VPN.

Create a free account on BBC iPlayer

Visit BBC iPlayer while connected to your UK VPN server. Click Sign in and then Register now. BBC iPlayer requires a UK postcode during signup – use any valid UK postcode such as SW1A 1AA (Buckingham Palace) or M1 1AE (Manchester). The postcode is not verified, and no payment is required. Complete the registration, verify your email, and you're ready to stream.

Start streaming Croatia vs Ghana

Navigate to the BBC iPlayer World Cup hub and select the Croatia vs Ghana live stream. The match starts at 10:00 PM BST on June 27th. If the stream doesn't load immediately, clear your browser cache, switch to a different UK server, or try incognito mode. BBC iPlayer streams in HD with adaptive bitrate, so the quality adjusts to your connection speed.

Devices guide

Watching on iPhone or iPad

Install the BBC iPlayer app (UK App Store), SBS On Demand app (Australian App Store), or HRT app (Croatian App Store) depending on which broadcaster you're targeting. If you're outside the relevant country, you'll need to switch your Apple ID region to download the app. Alternatively, use Safari to watch via the broadcaster's website – this works without changing your App Store region. Install NordVPN for iOS, connect to the appropriate server (UK for BBC, Australia for SBS, Croatia for HRT), then open the broadcaster app or website and stream.

Watching on Android phone or tablet

Install the BBC iPlayer, SBS On Demand, or HRT app from the Google Play Store (you may need to switch your Play Store country) or download the APK directly from the broadcaster's website if available. Install NordVPN for Android, connect to a server in the broadcaster's country, then launch the app and start streaming. Android devices support picture-in-picture mode, so you can browse other apps while the match plays in a floating window.

Watching on smart TV, Fire TV, or Apple TV

Most modern smart TVs have native apps for BBC iPlayer, SBS On Demand, and HRT. Install the broadcaster's app from your TV's app store, then install NordVPN (available on Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and select Samsung/LG models). Connect to the appropriate country's server, open the broadcaster app, and stream. If your TV doesn't support VPN apps, configure NordVPN's Smart DNS feature through your account dashboard or install NordVPN on your router to cover every device on your home network.

Watching on laptop or desktop

Visit BBC iPlayer, SBS On Demand, or HRT in your browser. Install the NordVPN desktop app for Windows or macOS, connect to a server in the broadcaster's country, then refresh the broadcaster's website and start streaming. Use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — all work reliably with these broadcasters.

Watching on PlayStation or Xbox

BBC iPlayer and SBS On Demand both offer apps on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Download the broadcaster's app from the console store, then configure NordVPN's Smart DNS (available in your NordVPN account dashboard under Services → Smart DNS) on your console's network settings. Smart DNS doesn't encrypt your traffic like a full VPN, but it's the easiest way to unblock geo-restricted streams on devices that don't support VPN apps. Alternatively, install NordVPN on your router to protect every device, including consoles.

Match preview

Head-to-head and historical context

Croatia and Ghana have never met in a competitive international fixture. This is their first-ever encounter at any level, making it a genuine World Cup debut matchup. Croatia enters as the 11th-ranked team in the FIFA rankings (as of June 11, 2026), while Ghana sits 73rd. Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and the 2022 semifinals, establishing themselves as perennial contenders. Ghana's best World Cup finish came in 2010, when they reached the quarterfinals and came agonizingly close to becoming the first African team in a semifinal.

Current form

Croatia's tournament began with a 4-2 loss to England in their Group L opener, exposing defensive vulnerabilities despite goals from Luka Modric and Andrej Kramaric. They bounced back with a 1-0 win over Panama courtesy of a Kramaric strike, but the narrow margin left them needing a result against Ghana to secure progression. Ghana opened with a 1-0 win over Panama, then held England to a 1-1 draw in their second match, showcasing defensive discipline and counter-attacking threat. A draw against Croatia would guarantee Ghana's place in the Round of 16.

Team news

Croatia's aging midfield trio of Luka Modric (40), Mateo Kovacic (32), and Marcelo Brozovic (33) has logged heavy minutes across the first two matches. Manager Zlatko Dalic faces a selection dilemma: rest key players and risk elimination, or push them through one more 90 minutes. Ivan Perisic remains doubtful with a thigh strain sustained against Panama. Ghana manager Otto Addo has a fully fit squad and is expected to field an unchanged XI. Mohammed Kudus and Inaki Williams have been Ghana's most dangerous attacking outlets, combining for both goals in the group stage.

Tournament context

Croatia sits third in Group L with 3 points after two matches (W1 L1), while Ghana holds second place with 4 points (W1 D1). England leads the group with 4 points and faces already-eliminated Panama in the simultaneous kickoff. A Croatia win would move them to 6 points and likely secure second place unless England loses heavily to Panama. A draw suits Ghana, guaranteeing them at least 5 points and progression regardless of the England-Panama result. Croatia must win or hope for an England collapse to advance.

Frequently asked questions about Croatia vs Ghana