Key Takeaways: Women’s World Cup 2023 Semi-Finals
- The Women’s World Cup semi-finals will take place on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16.
- Both games are available to watch for free on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.
- Fox, Fox Sports and the Fox Sports app have the official streaming rights in the U.S., but you need a subscription.
- If you’re not in the country, you can use a VPN to access the service, and we recommend using ExpressVPN.
We’re now down to the final four teams in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup — Spain, Sweden, Australia and England — and the schedule is set. Read this guide to see the full schedule for the semi-final matches and find out how to watch FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals from anywhere, including for free.
There are channels all over the world ready to broadcast live coverage of the Women’s World Cup tournament, and they’ve already covered the group stages and first parts of the knockout stage. Now they’re ready to cover the semi-finals, the third-place match and the final match. However, how you can watch it depends on your location, but a top VPN like ExpressVPN can help you out.
How to Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals
If you’re wondering why you can only watch the Women’s World Cup on a certain channel or service, it’s all down to where you’re located. Channels and services have paid to exclusively (or sometimes jointly) air the tournament in specific regions. Geoblocks are then implemented to stop viewers from accessing it from outside the allowed region.
If you want to watch it on a specific service, such as one that has Spanish language coverage or you’re traveling outside the U.S. and want to access your local Fox affiliate, a virtual private network (VPN) can help. Simply connect to a server in the same country as the channel or service you want, and you’ll be granted access.
Which Streaming Services Have the Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals?
Fox, Fox Sports and the Fox Sports app have the official streaming rights for the U.S. market. If you don’t have a cable or satellite package, you can sign up for Fox directly. Alternatively, you can get access with a live TV streaming service that carries Fox. This includes Sling TV (Blue package), YouTube TV, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream.
Peacock Premium also has the rights to stream the Women’s World Cup games, but it’s in Spanish, so might not suit your needs.
All of the options above are for U.S. viewers, so if you’re not in the country, you’ll need to use a VPN to get access. There are other options around the world too, such as with each co-host nation — Australia will air it on Optus Sport and New Zealand will air it on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Now. There are also ways you can watch it for free.
How to Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup Quarter-Finals for Free in 2023
If you want a free way to watch the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches, there are quite a few options available around the world. That said, not all free options cover every single game that is played, so you’ll need to check if your chosen service covers the match you want to watch.
The best way to watch every single game of the Women’s World Cup is with BBC iPlayer in the U.K. (ITVX has most other matches but not the semi-final games) or ARD and ZDF in Denmark. You can also watch all games with RTBF in Belgium, but only choose this option if you want French language coverage.
Here’s a table with all of the channels and services you can use to watch the Women’s World Cup 2023 for free.
| Country | Service |
|---|---|
 U.K. |
BBC iPlayer* |
 Australia |
Seven 7Plus |
 France |
FranceTV M6 |
 Italy |
Rai |
 Spain |
RTVE |
 Belgium |
VRT* RTBF* |
 Austria |
ORF |
 Netherlands |
NOS NPO |
 Denmark |
ARD* ZDF* |
How to Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals With a VPN
Both semi-final games will be aired on the BBC in the U.K. Follow the steps below to access BBC iPlayer and watch the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup for free. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer, so it makes sense to use it here. You can also use its 30-day money-back guarantee to use it for free.
- Subscribe to ExpressVPN
Pick a plan on the ExpressVPN website and subscribe to the service. Each plan is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Install ExpressVPN’s App
Install the ExpressVPN app on the device you want to stream the Women’s World Cup on. Then, launch the app and log in to your account.
- Connect to a Server in the United Kingdom
Open ExpressVPN’s server list by clicking on the three dots. Then, either browse the list or use the search bar to find and connect to a server in the U.K. To connect, you simply have to click on the server and then click the big “on” button if it doesn’t connect automatically.
- Go to the BBC iPlayer
Go to the BBC iPlayer website and click on the person icon in the top corner. You can then either sign in or register for a new account by following the next steps.
- Click on “Register Now”
Click “register now” to create your new BBC iPlayer account.
- Create an Account
BBC iPlayer will take you through all the steps to create a new account. You’ll need to give your date of birth to confirm your viewing age, a valid email to verify your account and a U.K. post code (a random one from a Google search will do).
- Start Streaming the Women’s World Cup Games
Search for the semi-final games and start streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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The Best VPNs for Watching the Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals
When it comes to choosing the right VPN for streaming live sports, you need good speeds. Without that, you could suffer from buffering, lag or a terrible resolution. You also need one that can unblock the services you want to access. Our VPN recommendations have what it takes to stream the Women’s World Cup matches reliably.
1. ExpressVPN
Pros:
- Fast streaming speeds
- Excellent unblocking ability
- Servers in 94 countries
Cons:
- Expensive
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation for streaming pretty much anything. That’s because it has no trouble accessing streaming services from all over the world. It also has the fast speeds needed for a top-quality stream and has thousands of servers spread across 94 countries, meaning you can view channels and services from a ton of different regions.
Its app is easy to use on all devices and you can also use its MediaStreamer feature (which is basically smart DNS) to unblock services on devices that don’t support the native VPN app. Keep in mind, though, that while the full app will protect you while you stream, MediaStreamer does not use encryption.
ExpressVPN’s price is high, but our ExpressVPN review proves why it’s worth it. If you’re not convinced, you can make use of the 30-day money-back guarantee as a free way to trial the VPN for a month.
- Unlimited GB
- 5
- Yes
2. NordVPN
Pros:
- Fastest speeds
- Servers in 60 countries
- Unlocks geoblocks easily
Cons:
- Challenging map on mobile
Our runner-up is NordVPN, and it also has what it takes to provide a decent stream. You get the fastest average speeds with NordVPN (see our VPN speed comparison), and it has tons of servers in 60 countries. That, plus its unblocking ability, allows you to access new channels and tons of content libraries easily.
NordVPN has an interactive server map that works great on a desktop. However, it’s not quite so good on mobile. The smaller screen makes it hard to navigate and keep track of where you are. Still, NordVPN will ensure you’re safe whether you’re using a mobile hotspot or a trusted network.
If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to ExpressVPN’s pricing, NordVPN is a better option. Its two-year plan provides a low-cost service and you’re covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind. You can also read our NordVPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 6
- Yes
3. Surfshark
Pros
- Affordable
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Accesses streaming services
Cons
- Variable U.S. speeds
Another good VPN that we recommend is Surfshark. The VPN has servers in 100 countries and also offers solid speeds, including in the UK. It also offers unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can cover all your devices at the same time.
Surfshark’s app is easy to use, making it good for beginners. It’s also a very affordable VPN, though you do need to pay for the two-year plan to get the better price. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you plenty of time to test it, and you can read our Surfshark review for more information.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
The Semi-Finals: Who, Where & When
The quarter-finals are over, and Spain dramatically beat the Netherlands to the semi-final spot with a 2-1 win in extra time. It’s also the first time in Women’s World Cup history that the country has made it to the final four. Sweden is another of the final four teams, with them beating Japan 2-1 after nabbing their winning goal with a penalty kick. Despite their hard work, Japan didn’t score until the last few minutes of the game.
Similarly to Spain, Australia has reached the semi-finals for the first time ever, after going all the way to penalties and knocking France out of the tournament. England also beat Colombia to the last semi-final spot with a 2-1 win.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Women’s National Team, who are the current World Champions, were eliminated sooner than any football fans imagined. During their Round of 16 match against Sweden, the teams ended up battling it out with penalties.
Both teams missed a couple of chances, but it was ultimately three misses by Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara that sealed the USNWT’s fate. Sweden’s Lina Hurtig secured the winning goal, even though there was a bit of VAR drama.
Semi-Finals Schedule
 Date |
 Match |
 Time |
 Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 15 | Spain  Sweden |
4:00 a.m. ET | Eden Park, Auckland, NZ |
| Aug. 16 | Australia England |
6 a.m. ET | Stadium Australia, Sydney, AU |
If you’re curious about the upcoming matches, see the schedule for the third-place FIFA World Cup match, as well as the finals.
Third-Place Match
| Date |
Match |
Time |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 19 | TBD TBD |
4:00 a.m. ET | Lang Park, Brisbane, AU |
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final
| Date |
Match |
Time |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 20 | TBD TBD |
6:00 a.m. ET | Stadium Australia, Sydney, AU |
Final Thoughts: Women’s World Cup 2023
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to watch FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final matches. BBC iPlayer in the U.K. will air both semi-final matches for free and you can access the service using a U.K. VPN server.
ExpressVPN is our recommended service due to its reliability and fast speeds. Plus, if you cancel anytime within the first 30 days, you can get a full refund.
Which service will you use to watch the Women’s World Cup 2023 semi-finals? Will you need to use a VPN? If so, which VPN will you use? Which teams do you think will get through to the world cup final? Who were the best players so far from the world cup roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section and, as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: FIFA Women’s World Cup Semi-Finals
-
Fox and Fox Sports have the rights to the Women’s World Cup in the U.S. You can stream matches on the Fox Sports app or use a live TV streaming service to get access to the Fox channels without cable.
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There are plenty of places where you can watch each round of the Women’s World Cup for free. That includes BBC iPlayer in the U.K., RTBF in Belgium and ARD and ZDF in Denmark. You can also use one of the free trials offered by live TV streaming services, such as YouTube TV.
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Aside from watching live on a local TV channel, you can also stream the Women’s World Cup live on some services. That includes the U.K.’s BBC iPlayer and ITVX services, Belgium’s RTBF and Denmark’s ARD and ZDF. A live TV streaming service that includes Fox or another channel with rights to the Women’s World Cup is another option.
-
Replays of the Women’s World Cup games can be found on many services. One example is with BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the U.K., which you can sign up for and watch replays there for free.
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