The group stage of the FIFA World Cup is over. Even though this wasn’t the most eventful of all World Cups, it was still full of surprises. And one of those was definitely Japan making it through to the knockout phase. And not just that. Japan made it farther than Germany – one of this World Cup’s initial favorites – which has not made it through to the 1/8 finals. Now, all eyes are on what very well may be the miracle of the Qatar World Cup as it takes on Croatia.

It was quite the weird World Cup for Group E. While the group did have some of this year’s strongest teams, no one expected Japan to take first place in the group. It all started with Japan defeating Germany 2:1, which may have been too much of a devastating blow to the German team. After that, Japan lost to Costa Rica (0:1), which many speculate to be a friendly, behind-the-scenes agreement between the two. And, finally, Japan unexpectedly beat Spain (2:1).

Japan’s first knockout stage opponent is slated to be Croatia – one of the tougher teams from the 2018 World Cup. And it has had a rather interesting go at this Championship as well. Croatia first tied with Morocco (0:0), won against Canada with a devastating score of 4:1, and tied against Belgium 0:0. Definitely not the team’s best.

Japan coming up against Croatia might very well be the most exciting match of the knockout stage. Given everything that has happened to the teams so far, there’s no saying what’s coming next. One thing is for certain: You’re not going to want to miss it!

How can you watch the Japan – Croatia match for free from anywhere?

If you’re reading this, you already know that not everyone gets to enjoy the World Cup how they want to. Whether it’s having to pay for a broadcast that half the world gets to enjoy for free, or not being able to follow along with the rest of the country due to being abroad, geoblocks are ruining the World Cup enjoyment for millions of fans all over the world.

Fortunately, there is an easy way around all of the restrictions. And that’s a VPN!

With the help of the right Virtual Private Network, you can switch your virtual location with a click and get instant access to the World Cup streams you wouldn’t be able to watch otherwise.

However, with streaming restrictions being tougher than they’ve ever been, very few VPNs actually work. Currently, there is but one VPN that can bring all the World Cup streaming anyone could ever want. And that’s ExpressVPN!

But what does ExpressVPN have that others do not? Well:

• Currently, it’s the only VPN that is optimized for unblocking streaming services from nearly every corner of the planet. And when it comes to streaming sports, no other VPN does it better.
• Thanks to an extremely diverse and strong server network, no stream is off-limits, giving you the absolute freedom of watching whatever you want however you want.
• It’s also extremely fast. And while it doesn’t seem like much, ExpressVPN’s speeds make streaming as enjoyable as it can be.
• Finally, ExpressVPN’s support makes any problem you face solvable. And the 30-day money-back guarantee means you won’t be stuck with a subscription you don’t want.

The best ways to watch the Japan – Croatia match live, free, and from anywhere

With the entire World watching the FIFA World Cup, there’s no shortage of streaming options. So if we want to get this guide out the door, we’re going to have to stick to the main streaming option.

Plus, we already have a complete guide to streaming the World Cup:

With that out of the way, onto the streaming options!

Watch Japan vs. Croatia on Abema or Fuji TV from abroad

Few pleasures are as precious in life as cheering for your national team with the entire country. If there is indeed a way to feel bigger than life, this is it!

And Japanese fans are putting the rest to shame with how much they have come together to support their team. This is why it’s an incredible shame that the live Japanese broadcast of the match can only be enjoyed inside the country.

Japan has no shortage of online World Cup streaming options. Most notably, the entire World Cup can be followed (for free!) on Abema and Fuji TV. However, the broadcast will only be available in Japan.

Want to cheer for your team with the rest of the country, local commentary, and in your native tongue? This is how you do it:

1. Start by getting an ExpressVPN subscription and installing the VPN on your device.
2. Next, launch the app and connect the VPN to one of the provider’s servers in Japan.
3. Head over to either Fuji TV or Abema online streaming platforms and enjoy the match live!

Watch Croatia vs. Japan on HRTi from abroad

Japan might be one of the more unexpected outcomes of this World Cup, but it’s not like Croatia isn’t gathering a crowd!

Considered one of the stronger teams in the entire World Cup, Croatia is definitely a contender worth following. And even though the team might not have wowed us in the group stage, who knows, maybe they’ve been holding back and will bring it in the knockout phase.

Fortunately, you can follow the entire World Cup live and for free on HRTi in Croatia. What is unfortunate is that the stream is inaccessible outside of the country.

Don’t want to settle for the streaming options you have at your disposal? Good! Because this is how you get to enjoy Croatia playing on national TV:

1. Start by getting an ExpressVPN subscription – the only VPN that is capable of accessing Croatian streaming services.
2. Install the ExpressVPN app, launch it and connect your VPN to a server in Croatia.
3. Head over to the HRTi online streaming platform and log into your account as you normally would. If you don’t have an account – create one!
4. That’s it!

BBC iPlayer

Looking for something a bit more universal and objective? Then UK’s BBC iPlayer is the place to be!

This year, both BBC iPlayer and ITV are streaming select matches, and the Japan – Croatia match will be streamed on the former streaming platform.
Want to join in? There is no easier way of doing it than with the help of ExpressVPN. So:

1. Take out an ExpressVPN subscription and install the app on your preferred device or devices.
2. Launch the application and connect to one of the provider’s server locations in the UK.
3. Head over to the BBC iPlayer streaming platform and apply for an account.
4. In order to complete your application, you are going to have to provide the platform with a local postcode. Don’t have one? Here you go: CH62 9BE, LN13 9HN, NN16 6HN, RH18 5AZ, IV56 8FD, KY15 4PW, GU52 7TZ, NP23 4ET.
5. If the streaming platform prompts you about having a TV license, click ‘Yes‘.
6. That’s it!  You can now watch the game with the rest of Britain!

SBS

Finally, if you’re still looking for something universal as well as something that doesn’t require that complicated a setup, there’s always Australian SBS.

The SBS-on-Demand streaming platform is broadcasting the entire World Cup both live and free for all of Australia to see. And you just might be able to join in.

And here’s how you can join the stream:

1. Start by getting an ExpressVPN subscription and installing the app on your device.
2. Next, launch the app and connect to one of the provider’s servers in Australia.
3. Visit the SBS-on-Demand website and apply for a free account. Setting it up takes seconds and isn’t complicated at all.
4. Finally, launch the stream and enjoy the game.

Is Japan the sleeper hit of this World Cup?

A few weeks ago anyone and everyone would have told you that Germany is the clear favorite of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. So imagine everyone’s surprise when the position that should have been a shoo-in for Germany was filled by Japan. And now, everyone is rooting for the team.

Then again, the Croatian national team has long since established itself as a strong presence on the football scene. And even though many say the time is right for some new blood in the team, Croatia is long overdue for the Cup.

What does this all amount to? A match you can’t afford to miss!