How to watch the FA Cup Final abroad online

It’s the time of year again for the biggest cup game in English football.

Yes, that’s right, the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City is set to take place on Saturday 16th May 2026.

The FA Cup always throws up surprises and gives those lower league teams a chance to battle it out with the big boys. This year sees Chelsea, who haven’t lifted the cup since 2018, go up against a Manchester City side appearing in their fourth FA Cup final in a row, a first in the competition’s history.

The FA Cup Final will be shown live on BBC One and TNT Sports in the UK, with free online streaming on BBC iPlayer. TNT Sports subscribers can also stream the match through the HBO Max app.

Both BBC iPlayer and HBO Max are restricted to UK viewers. So if you’re living or travelling abroad, or even just from another country, we’ve put together this guide to show you how you can watch the FA Cup Final online from any country.

What you will need to view

When you visit the BBC iPlayer or HBO Max website or app it checks your internet connection to see what country you’re in. If you’re in the UK then it allows you to view and you can watch the FA Cup Final without issue.

If you’re outside the UK then it can determine this and so blocks you. iPlayer and HBO Max use what is known as your IP Address, a set of numbers unique to you at the time of connection, and from this can tell you’re not in the UK.

Luckily a service exists called a VPN or Virtual Private Network to give it the long complicated name. A VPN allows you to alter your IP Address to that of another country and so gives the impression that you’re somewhere else.

To watch the FA Cup Final on BBC iPlayer (or HBO Max if you’re a TNT Sports subscriber), you’ll want to appear as if you’re in the UK and with a VPN you can do this with just one or two clicks.

First you need to sign up with a VPN provider. There are a lot to choose from and many can be compared in our handy VPN Comparison Guide.

If you have a busy lifestyle and you don’t have time to be comparing the vast array of providers (and let’s face it, who does? there are thousands!) then three providers we do recommend and have tested extensively are below.

Not only do they score highly in our VPN reviews, they’re also fast for streaming video, which is essential when you want a smooth picture without buffering on cup final day.

How to use a VPN to live stream the FA Cup Final

Other providers offer similar software and apps and as long as you connect to a UK server it’ll work without issue.

When and where is the FA Cup Final being played?

The 2026 FA Cup Final will take place on Saturday, 16 May at Wembley Stadium in London, with kick-off scheduled for 3pm BST.

This year’s final sees Chelsea go head-to-head with Manchester City. For Chelsea, it’s their first FA Cup final since 2022 and a chance to lift the trophy for the first time since their 2018 win over Manchester United.

For City, it’s a remarkable fourth consecutive FA Cup Final appearance, the first time any club has reached four in a row. They’re chasing an eighth FA Cup title overall, though they’ll be smarting from losing last year’s final to Crystal Palace.

How did Chelsea and Man City progress to the final?

Chelsea’s route to the final has been emphatic. They dispatched Charlton Athletic 5-1 away in the third round before Pedro Neto’s hat-trick helped them past Hull City 4-0 in round four.

A trickier fifth-round trip to Championship side Wrexham went to extra time, with Chelsea eventually winning 4-2. They then thrashed Port Vale 7-0 at Stamford Bridge in the quarter-finals before Enzo Fernández’s solo goal saw off Leeds United 1-0 in the semi-final at Wembley.

Manchester City began their campaign in record-breaking fashion, hammering League One side Exeter City 10-1, their biggest FA Cup win since 1987.

They followed that with a 2-0 home win over Salford City and a 3-1 away win at Newcastle United. In the quarter-finals at the Etihad, Erling Haaland’s hat-trick saw them past Liverpool 4-0. Their semi-final at Wembley against Southampton was tighter than expected, but late goals from Jérémy Doku and Nico González wrapped up a 2-1 win.

Summary

Whether you’re a Chelsea fan or a Manchester City fan you won’t want to miss this match. Wembley will be packed but for most of us, the only choice is to watch online. If you’re not in the UK this can be difficult.

Grab the ExpressVPN app, connect to a UK server, and stream the whole game on BBC iPlayer (or HBO Max if you’re a TNT Sports subscriber) whatever country you’re in.