Belgium v Russia live stream, ITV, Saturday 12 June, 8pm BST
Belgium will get their Euro 2020 campaign under way against Russia in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
The Red Devils are among the favourites to triumph at this summer’s delayed tournament, which was pushed back by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Belgium reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, and they are now looking to take the next step. The pressure is well and truly on Roberto Martinez and his players at Euro 2020.
Indeed, this competition is probably the best chance for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ to get their hands on a piece of silverware.
The 2022 World Cup is on the horizon, but the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard - not to mention Dries Mertens, Axel Witsel, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen - will all be in their 30s by then, and there will also be competition from the South American nations.
Belgium arguably possess the best attack in the tournament. They scored more goals (40) than any other team in qualifying, as the Red Devils won all 10 of their matches. Romelu Lukaku is coming off the back of a fantastic season with Inter, whom he fired to the Serie A title. De Bruyne, Hazard, Mertens and Youri Tielemans is not a bad supporting cast.
There are some doubts over Belgium, though. Vertonghen and Alderweireld are now well into their 30s and could be exploited down the channels in Martinez’s 3-4-2-1 formation. And if Axel Witsel is not match-fit, who will start at the base of midfield?
Russia had home advantage to call upon at the 2018 World Cup, but their run to the quarter-finals was still a surprise. Theirs is a cautious approach and we will likely see them pack men behind the ball against Belgium, with a 5-4-1 formation on the cards.
With four of the six third-place finishers qualifying for the knockout stage, Russia will be targeting a place in the last 16 at a minimum.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST and the game is being shown on ITV/ITV Hub. See below for watching details where you are.
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Use a VPN to watch a Belgium v Russia live stream from outside your country
If you’re out of the country for any Euro 2020 fixtures, then annoyingly your domestic on-demand services won’t work – the broadcaster knows where you are because of your IP address (boo!). You'll be blocked from watching it, which is not ideal if you still want to catch Harry Kane's in-swinging corners without resorting to illegal feeds you’ve found on Reddit.
But assistance is on hand. To get around that, all you have to do is get a Virtual Private Network (VPN), assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and t'internet, meaning the service can’t work out where you are and won't automatically block the service you've paid for. All the info going between is entirely encrypted – and that's a result.
There are plenty of good-value options out there, including:
How to watch a Euro 2020 live stream for UK subscribers
Euro 2020 matches will be broadcast live by the BBC and ITV.
The BBC is showing two of Wales' group games and the huge England vs Scotland clash, with ITV set to show two each of England and Scotland's group games.
How to watch a Euro 2020 live stream for US subscribers
ESPN and ABC are the Euro 2020 rights holders. If you have them as part of a cable package, you'll be able to stream games directly through the ESPN website and the ABC website.
Cord-cutters are in luck, too, as you can get both channels without having an expensive cable package. Of the many options, the best for soccer fans wanting to watch a Euro 2020 live stream is fuboTV.
It's a complete end-to-end cable replacement service, which offers ESPN, ABC and over 120 other channels on plans starting from $64.99 a month - and you can take up a FREE FuboTV trial offer.
Another great option is Sling TV, whose Sling Orange package features ESPN channels for just $35 a month - check out Sling and make a saving on your first month. New or existing subscribers to US streaming services can still access the platform of their choice from abroad, too - all you need is the help of a good VPN.
How to watch a Euro 2020 live stream for Canadian subscribers
Soccer fans with a cable subscription can watch a Euro 2020 live stream on TSN and French-language channel TVA Sports.
Better still, these channels will let you watch matches online, too - either by registering with details of your pay TV provider, or by signing up for a standalone streaming package.
The TSN Direct streaming service can be had from just $7.99 a day or (much better value) $19.99 a month and can be purchased by anyone.
Similarly, the TVA Sports Direct service is also perfect for cord-cutting fans in Canada, costing just $19.99 a month.
And don't forget that a VPN is the way to get a Euro 2020 live stream if you're away from Canada during the tournament.
How to watch a Euro 2020 live stream for Australian subscribers
In Australia, there's only one place to tune into Euro 2020, with Optus Sport set to show all 51 matches of the tournament.
Optus coverage can be streamed via mobile and tablet with the channel's app, while cord-cutters can also access the service on Fetch TV, Chromecast or Apple TV.
And if you leave Oz at any point during the tournament, simply use a VPN to tune in as normal - scroll up for more information.
How to watch a Euro 2020 live stream for New Zealand subscribers
The official broadcaster for Euro 2020 in New Zealand is Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.
Subscribers can watch online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.
Anyone in New Zealand from abroad or vice-versa can use a VPN as outlined above.
