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For the second time this World Cup, England and Belgium will go head-to-head. And for the second time this World Cup, the stakes will be greatly reduced, as this time they’ll play for third place Saturday in Saint Petersburg.
In the United States, the match is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET and will be broadcast on both Fox (English broadcast) and Telemundo (Spanish broadcast). But if you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still easily watch a live stream of the World Cup final (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Fox (live in most markets) and Telemundo are both included in the “Fubo Premier” bundle, which will also have a stream of the Fox broadcast in 4K on compatible devices. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the World Cup third-place game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch the game live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand up to three days after it airs even if you forgot to record it.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including both Fox (live in most markets) and Telemundo. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the World Cup final on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch the game live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials), allowing you to watch the game after it airs.
Fox (but not Telemundo) is included in the “Sling Blue” package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the World Cup final on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch the match live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
Preview
Belgium and England met about two weeks ago in a game in which they had both already secured spots in the knockout round, and now they’ll play again for third place. It’s not often that two teams play each other in two meaningless games in the same World Cup, but here we are.
OK, so meaningless may be a little harsh, but third place is far from the ultimate goal, especially when you’ve made it as far as the semifinals.
Still, while it’s unclear just how motivated either side will be, there are nevertheless plenty of reasons to watch. The talent level is still really high, no matter who starts. Watching Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne control the midfield is always a joy, no matter the setting. It may be an opportunity to see some of the young players who haven’t played much in Russia, like England’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, or Belgium’s Adnan Januzaj, who scored an absolute beauty in the first matchup.
Then there’s the race for the Golden Boot, as Harry Kane leads the way with six goals, while Romelu Lukaku is within striking distance at four. Unless Antoine Griezmann or Kylian Mbappe pick up a hat trick in the World Cup final, then either Kane or Lukaku will take home the prestigious honor.
So, don’t dismiss this one just because it’s the third-place game. It may be meaningless in many ways, but at the same time, the removal of pressure could produce a wide-open and entertaining affair between two exciting attacking teams.
Will third place be coming home? Or will Belgium record their best-ever finish at the World Cup? Either way, it should be fun.