The FA Cup Final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City will kick off on Saturday, May 17 with kickoff at 4:30 PM BST (11:30 AM ET). The 2025 Cup Final is not just a chance for silverware, but sees the winners qualify for the league phase of the Europa League. They’ll also play Premier League winners Liverpool in the Community Shield. Luckily, you don’t have to be there in person to show your support. Below, we’ll let you know how you can stream the FA Cup Final live online.
It’s important to note that we’ll only be recommending official FA Cup sources. There are almost always unlicensed streams showing high-profile sporting events like these, but we advise against using them. To begin with, they’re often laggy, with low-resolution video. Further, copyright holders have been known to monitor link-sharing forums and have unauthorised streams taken down mid-match. Given that you can watch the final for free, there’s really no reason to use an unofficial stream.
Popular streaming platforms often geo-block their content, meaning it’s only available to users in specific countries. As a result, you’ll need a VPN to use these services while traveling abroad.
How to stream the FA Cup Final from abroad with a VPN
Even if you’ve never used a VPN before, it’s easy to access geo-blocked content abroad.
Here’s how to stream the FA Cup Final 2025 online from anywhere:
- Start by signing up for a suitable VPN service. We recommend NordVPN but Surfshark and IPVanish are two fantastic alternatives.
- Download and install the app. There will be a few different versions so make sure to get the appropriate version.
- Decide which of the services you’d like to use and connect to a server in the relevant location. For instance, you’ll need a British server to regain access to BBC iPlayer or an American sever for ESPN+.
- Try playing a video on your chosen site. It should work perfectly, but if not, clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then refresh the page.
Since the FA Cup Final will be broadcast live, it’s a good idea to test your VPN in advance. In doing so, you ensure that there’s still time to get help if anything doesn’t work as expected. This also means that you might not have to miss the start of what’s sure to be an extremely important match.
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How to watch the 2025 FA Cup Final for free in the UK
You can watch Crystal Palace vs Manchester City free-of-charge on both BBC iPlayer and ITVX. If you’re planning on live streaming the FA Cup final, you’ll need a TV license, but you can always watch on-demand the following day without one on ITVX.
These services only work in the UK but If you’re abroad, you can still watch the FA Cup Final by connecting to a VPN. We recommend NordVPN which includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free and receive a full refund if you don’t want to keep it.
Where else can I live stream the FA Cup Final?
Some of the best soccer teams in the world compete in the FA Cup, so it’s no surprise that there’s a huge amount of international interest. Luckily, this match will be shown live in dozens of countries; take a look below to find your country’s official FA Cup broadcaster.
USA
In the US, the 2025 FA Cup Final will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+. This service costs $11.99 USD per month (or $119.99 per year). As an added bonus, you’ll also be able to stream this match on-demand for a few days after it airs, so there’s no need to worry if you have other plans on May 17.
ESPN+ is geo-blocked and currently only available in the United States. As a result, you’ll have to use a VPN to access it from other countries.
Canada
Soccer fans in Canada can watch the FA Cup Final on Sportsnet. If your cable TV package already includes Sportsnet, you can log in and start streaming at no added cost. If not, you can sign up to this platform’s over-the-top service, Sportsnet Now for $24.99 CAD per month. Unfortunately, there’s no trial period, but as Sportsnet is the only network showing the FA Cup Final in Canada, there’s little you can do about it.
Sportsnet is only available in Canada. If you usually live in Canada but are currently abroad, you can simply use a Canadian VPN server to access this service.
Australia
The broadcast rights to the FA Cup have changed hands again, and now Optus Sport is the only place Australian fans can watch. The final will be broadcast live at 1:30 AM AEST (Sunday, May 18). If you’re an Optus customer but don’t yet have Optus Sport, you can add it for $9.99 AUD a month. Non-Optus customers can get Optus Sport for $24.99 monthly.
Keep in mind that Optus Sport is geo-blocked. This means that you’ll need a VPN and Australian IP address to watch from outside of Australia.
Middle East & North Africa
beIN Sports will be showing the FA Cup Final match across the Middle East & North Africa. Prices (and free trial availability) vary from one country to another, but you can generally expect a monthly subscription to cost around $10 USD. Additionally, beIN Sports generally offers commentary in several different languages.
This service has separate, geo-restricted sites for each of its supported regions. You can easily access a specific country’s version of the site from abroad using a VPN, however.
Other locations
These matches will be broadcast in far too many locations to cover individually. If we haven’t mentioned your country above, you might want to take a look at the list of international FA Cup broadcasters. Many of these will have their own streaming platform, and perhaps even a trial period. This means that with a bit of luck, you’ll be able to watch the FA Cup final live, wherever you are in the world.
What should I know about the FA Cup Final?
The 2025 FA Cup Final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City is to be held at Wembley Stadium, London. Stuart Attwell is the referee. This is to be the 144th FA Cup final and the winners will not only claim silverware on the day, but enter the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League as well as meet Liverpool in the 2025 FA Community Shield.
Who is favorite to win the FA Cup Final?
Manchester City are, unsurprisingly, favorites to win the 2025 FA Cup. This is despite what has been a disappointing season for the Sky Blues, not helped by a number of injuries. With just two Premier League games to go this season, City sit 4th in the table some 16 points of league winners Liverpool.
Still, the FA Cup Final is a chance for Manchester City to put things right. They saw off Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals but face a Crystal Palace side that have had a respectable PL campaign and who comfortably beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals. Certainly, it’s not beyond Crystal Palace to pull off an upset on the day.
