- Champions League 2025/26 Dates: September 17, 2025 → May 30, 2026
- Stream 8 Matchday 1 games for free on RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play
- Unlock your free stream with NordVPN (save 70%)
The Champions League is back for the 2025/26 season, and the road to Budapest begins on Matchday 1. UEFA’s showpiece competition will once again feature stars from clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and last season’s winners, PSG.
Not excited yet? Here’s more: RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play will be streaming eight games for free to viewers in Ireland.
But how can you watch The Champions League 2025/26 on RTÉ and Virgin Media from anywhere? Can you access the free UCL streams in the UK and the US too? And what games will be shown on the service.
Here’s our simple guide to how to watch the 2025/26 Champions League for free from anywhere in the world using NordVPN.
Champions League Free Games and Channels
All times in BST
- Tuesday (September 16):
Athletic Club vs Arsenal (5:45pm) - Virgin Media Play
Real Madrid vs Marseille (8pm) - Virgin Media Play - Wednesday (September 17):
Slavia Prague vs Bodo/Glimt (5:45pm) - Virgin Media Play
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea (8pm) - Virgin Media Play
Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (8pm) - RTÉ Player - Thursday (September 18):
FC Kobenhavn vs Bayer Leverkusen (5:45 pm) - Virgin Media Play
Manchester City vs Napoli (8pm) - Virgin Media Play
Newcastle vs Barcelona (8pm) - RTÉ Player
RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play will be streaming the Champions League for free to Irish residents.
To watch RTÉ: visit the RTÉ website or download the RTÉ Player App (iOS / Android ).
To watch Virgin Media Play: visit the Virgin Media Play website or download the Virgin Media Play App (iOS / Android)
Both RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play are free
OUTSIDE IRELAND? ACCESS FREE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE STREAMS FROM ANYWHERE WITH NORDVPN
How to watch Champions League 2025/26 for free from anywhere
Although RTÉ and Virgin Media Play are some of our favorite streaming platforms for the 2025/26 Champions League, they are only available in Ireland.
Football lovers traveling outside the Emerald Isle can still access these free Champions League streams by using a VPN.
There are lots of VPN's but NordVPN is our pick to unblock RTE and Virgin Media Play to stream The Champions League like a pro.... and you can save 70% right now.
It's really easy to use a VPN to watch RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting Canada and want to watch your free Irish Virgin Media Play stream - you'd select Ireland from the options.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to the Virgin Media Play website, sign in, and watch the the Champions League for free.
RTÉ and Virgin Media Play Q+A
RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play are two of our favourite streaming services for Irish residents, offering a host of live sports as well as an abundance of great TV shows.
Among the events we've enjoyed on these platforms over the past year are Gaelic football, the Six Nations, and horse racing.
RTÉ recommends an internet speed of at least 5–10 Mbps for quality streaming.
Which devices can I watch RTÉ with?
- Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, and Fire TVs)
- Android TV (please note: some models may not be supported)
- Android (Mobile & Tablet – Android 7.0 and above)
- Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
- Google TV (including Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
- Freely
- Freesat (please note: some models may not be supported)
- Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes – some models may not be supported)
- iOS (iPhone & iPad – iOS 14 and above)
- LG Smart TVs (2016–2024 models)
- NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware version 11.5.0)
- PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
- Roku (Stick & Roku OS-powered TVs – minimum firmware version 11.5.0)
- Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and newer models)
- Sky (Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream puck)
- Virgin Media (360, Stream, and TiVo)
- YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, and TalkTalk boxes)
- Xbox (One, Series X, and Series S)
More from TechRadar
- How to watch the Champions League 2025/26
- How to watch 'The Traitors Ireland' season 1 on RTE Player
- How to watch Premier League 25/26
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
English (US) ·