How To Watch Copa America Abroad

The Copa America is the oldest international soccer (or futbol, depending where you’re from) tournament in the world. It’s hosted in a South American country and is a tournament involving all ten of the CONMEBALL teams, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Periodically, guests countries are also invited to participate as well (the most recent Copa America hosted in June/July 2021 invited Australia and Qatar’s soccer teams to play, but they declined due to COVID-19 considerations).

If you live in one of the South American countries listed above, then you should be able to stream and view the Copa America with no problems. However, if you’re traveling or living abroad in another region of the world, then you may be out of luck due to certain geo-restrictions placed on streaming platforms.

If you’re living abroad and are trying to watch the next Copa America, then this article is for you! Below, we’ll show you how to use a high-quality VPN service to bypass your country’s geo-restrictions so you can get back to doing what you love most- watching futbol!

When Is The Copa America Hosted?

The most recent Copa America was hosted from June through July of 2021. Generally speaking, the Copa is held every four years, following a quadrennial format. This means that the next Copa America was set to be hosted in 2025. However, the CONMEBALL decided that they were going to host the next Copa America in 2024 so that it could coincide with the UEFA Euro Cup in 2024.

This means that South American soccer fans will have to wait another three years before the next Copa America. But hey- it’s never too late to prepare! Plus, the methods we’ll show you below can be used to watch any other futbol matches and tournaments that are hosted in any other countries that are trying to geo-block you from watching your teams play.

Where Can I Watch The Copa America?

Generally, the two best places to watch the Copa America are GloboTV and Fox Sports South America. Of course, if you live in South America, then you can probably watch the games on your local TV networks or at a sports pub in your neighborhood. However, if you’re staying abroad, then you’ll need to stream the shows on GloboTV or Fox Sports.

There’s only one small hiccup… these streaming services are only available in South American countries. If you’re living abroad in Europe, the US, Canada, etc., then you’ll be met with a friendly “network error” every time you try to log in and view the geo-restricted content.

These geo-restrictions are often placed on streaming services due to back-office “handshakes” and media distribution deals made by multi-million-dollar corporate media companies. Unfortunately, these media deals tend to screw over everyday futbol fans like us, and we’re sick of it. So, we’re going to show you how to circumvent the rules and watch the Copa America – no matter where you live.

How To Watch The Copa America Abroad (No Matter Where You Are)

As we mentioned, the next Copa America isn’t for another three years. However, you can use the same method described below to watch pretty much any futbol match hosted in any country. So, it’s definitely worth a quick read!

1. Sign Up For A High-Speed VPN: First things first, you’ll need to sign up for a reliable high-speed VPN service. For our international readers, we usually recommend Surfshark or NordVPN, as both have a great reputation, affordable monthly rates, and fast streaming speeds.

If you’ve never heard of a VPN before, then here’s how they work…

Basically, a VPN is a program that you can download on your device (computer, phone, tablet, smart TV) that allows you to change your IP address. Usually, your IP address is associated with your internet company and the country where you live. However, when you connect to a VPN server that’s located in another country, it allows you to “mask” your IP address so that it looks like you’re accessing the internet from an entirely different country. This is the first step towards accessing any geo-blocked content.

Pretty cool, right?

2. Download The Right VPN Program For Your Device/Operating System: After subscribing for your chosen VPN service (most only cost around $5 – $10 per month, and some are even cheaper), then you’ll need to download the correct program for your operating system. All reputable VPN brands will offer download files for Androids, iPhones, Windows, and Mac OS X. Some even offer programs for Linux or Chinese devices!

Once you’ve downloaded the program file on your device, boot it up and enter your VPN login information or your unique login code. This will allow you to connect to any VPN server offered by the VPN service.

3. Connect To A VPN Server Located In Ecuador: Now, all you have to do is connect your device to a VPN server that’s located in the country where the Copa match is being hosted. As the upcoming 2024 Copa America will be hosted in Ecuador, you’ll want to connect to an Ecuadorian VPN server to ensure the smoothest connection. If your VPN doesn’t offer Ecuadorian servers, then you can usually access your favorite South American streaming apps from a Brazillian, Colombian, or Chilean VPN server.

4. Open Your Favorite Sports Streaming App: Now that you’re connected to the South American VPN server, your next step is to open your favorite streaming app. As we mentioned earlier, two of the best platforms for streaming South American sports are GloboTV and Fox Sports South America.

What If My VPN Is “Blocked”?

Unfortunately, some streaming platforms have gotten wise to the fact that international soccer fans are using VPNs to circumvent their geo-restriction measures. They’ve been able to identify all of the IP addresses that are most commonly associated with VPN servers being used to access their streaming platforms and have blocked those IPs from accessing their platform.

Solutions To VPN Blocks

Thankfully, high-quality VPN servers have remained one step ahead of the game and now offer solutions for VPN blocks. Here are the two ways you can get around a VPN block.

Obfuscated/Camouflaged VPN Servers

The easiest solution is to use an obfuscated server (sometimes referred to as a camouflaged server by some VPN services). These VPN servers use special algorithms and computer programs to mask the fact that they’re a VPN service. Think of it as a VPN for your VPN.

Dedicated IP Address

Another option you can try is to purchase a dedicated IP address from your VPN service. Essentially, you’ll be renting your own private server from the VPN service and you’ll be given your own dedicated VPN IP address that won’t match up with the standard public VPNs used by the majority of people.

The only drawback of this method is that dedicated VPN servers often cost upwards of $100 or more per month to use, which is a bit pricey. We only recommend purchasing a dedicated IP address if the previous method of using an obfuscated/camouflaged server doesn’t work.

Can I Watch The Copa America With A Free VPN?

If you’re trying to save money, then you may be thinking to yourself, “Can’t I just use a free VPN server instead?” While you could certainly try, we don’t recommend it if you plan on streaming video.

Free VPNs can be useful when you’re browsing the web and trying to remain anonymous. However, they usually have data limits and tend to throttle your connection speeds if you’re streaming video. This, in turn, can result in low-quality or extra-slow video streaming. Additionally, there’s a higher likelihood that the free VPNs IP address has been blocked by the streaming platform.

As we mentioned above, though, paid VPN services are generally quite affordable. Some even offer free trial periods, allowing you to stream unlimited amounts of data without any restrictions or throttling. If you don’t like the service, you can always cancel your subscription before you’re billed! Here’s a conclusive list of all of the best VPN services that offer free trials.

In Conclusion

If you’re a soccer fan and don’t want to miss out on the next Copa America while you’re traveling or living abroad, then using a good VPN service with a South American-based sports streaming platform is the best solution to your issue.

In addition to allowing you to watch the Copa, your VPN can also be used for a variety of other purposes. For example, you can use your VPN to access geo-restricted titles on Netflix or other movie-streaming services. Perhaps more importantly, a VPN can keep you safe while you’re connected to public wi-fi networks where your data can be stolen or your computer can get hacked.

Long story short – a VPN is an affordable and worthwhile investment. Whether you’re trying to watch your favorite futbol team or just stay safe and prevent the government from tracking you online, a VPN is your best solution!