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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Tom Wiggins

Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream: How to watch the pre-season friendly online

Donny van de Beek of Manchester United celebrates scoring with his team ahead of this week's pre-season friendly against Real Madrid.

It's almost time for the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream, which pits two of European's fiercest soccer rivals against each other as part of the Red Devils' US pre-season tour.

Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream, date, time, channels

The Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream takes place on Wednesday (July 26).
Time 8.30 p.m. ET / 5.30 p.m. PT / 1.30 a.m. BST (July 27) / 10.30 a.m. AEST (July 27)
• U.S.ESPN Plus
• U.K.MUTV
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk free

Real Madrid and Manchester United will go head-to-head at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday evening (early hours of Thursday morning if you're in Europe) as part of the Soccer Champions Tour series. 

Los Blancos narrowly avoided defeat in their pre-season opener against Italy's AC Milan. However, a series of blunders allowed Carlo Ancelotti's side to level the game at 2-2, before Vinicius Junior's 84th minute game-winner put paid to Milan's hopes.

The last time Real and Man United met in a competitive game was all the way back in March 2013, when the Spanish giants knocked the Red Devils out of the Champions League Round of 16, but there are always fireworks when these European heavyweights meet on the pitch. 

You won’t want to miss a moment of the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream, and we’ll show you how to watch it from around the world below. 

Watch Real Madrid vs Manchester United anywhere

The Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream will be shown on many different channels across the world. But what if you're not in your home country and want to watch it on your usual service?

The answer is to use a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN will let you tune into your home coverage from wherever you are — meaning that if you're abroad, you can use one of the best VPN services to watch the games live as if you were in your lounge.

Our favorite right now is ExpressVPN, thanks to its combination of superb speed, great customer service and excellent device support. It also offers a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee, so you could check it out without having to sign up long-term.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Sling or another service and watch the game.

Real Madrid vs Manchester United live streams by country

How to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream in the US

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Soccer fans in the U.S. can watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream on ESPN Plus through the ESPN App on a range of devices. While an ESPN Plus subscription does not give you access to regular ESPN content, it will grant you access to thousands of live events, original shows and series that can't be found anywhere else (not even on the standard ESPN service). ESPN+ is available for $9.99 a month or $99 a year. 

Even better ESPN Plus is available in a bundle with both Hulu and Disney Plus for $12.99 a month with ads. That gets you all of the ESPN Plus events, top Hulu shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Disney Plus library of classic Disney and Star Wars content. You can also pay $19.99 and lose the ads on Hulu and Disney Plus.

If you already use ESPN Plus but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.

How to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream in Canada

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Canadians can watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream on DAZN

Sadly, DAZN no longer offers new customers a 30-day free-trial period, so you'll have to pay the $24.99 CAD per month fee, although you can save a little by buying annually ($199 CAD). DAZN, if you're unfamiliar, has apps on pretty much every single streaming platform you can think of. 

Canadians stuck abroad that still want their low-price alternative can use a VPN such as ExpressVPN to trick their streaming device into thinking it's back in the great white north.

How to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream in the UK

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Football fans in the U.K. will be able to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream by subscribing to MUTV, which will allow you to watch all of United's pre-season friendlies on TV, on ManUtd.com and via the official Man Utd app, which you can download for Android or iOS. It costs £7.99 a month, or £29.99 for a whole year, and also includes exclusive MUTV Originals, documentaries, selected live United Women and Academy games during the season, and more.

Not at home in the U.K. right now? You can still follow the game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN

How to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream in Australia

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Real Madrid vs Manchester United is not being shown on TV in Australia but fans will be able to watch the action from the USA live by signing up for the MUTV. You can watch via ManUtd.com, or download the app for Android or iOS, and watch all of Man Utd's pre-season matches.

Kick-off time in Australia is 10:30 a.m. AEST on Thursday.

Not at home in Australia right now? You can still follow the game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN

How to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream in New Zealand

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Real Madrid vs Manchester United is not being shown on TV in New Zealand but fans will be able to watch the action from Texas live by signing up for the MUTV. You can watch via ManUtd.com, or download the app for Android or iOS, and watch all of Man Utd's pre-season matches.

Kick-off time in New Zealand is 12.30 p.m. NZST (Thursday).

Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow the game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN

Real Madrid vs Manchester United preview

Manchester United's first season under Erik ten Haag started badly but ended well. Defeats in their first two games to Brighton and Brentford didn't look good, but after the Dutchman dropped Harry Maguire and managed to remove the disruptive influence of Cristiano Ronaldo his team started to click. A Carabao Cup trophy, FA Cup final and Champions League qualification represent a success for a club that still has room for improvement but looks more united than it has been for years. A 2-0 win over Arsenal in New Jersey on Saturday showed promise – can they build on that here?

Real Madrid had a disappointing season by their high standards, finishing 10 points behind champions and fierce rivals Barcelona in La Liga, and getting humiliated by Manchester City in the semi-final of the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti has seen some high-profile departures from his squad, too, with Karim Benzema following the money to Saudi Arabia, Marco Asensio joining PSG, and Eden Hazard's contract expiring. You could argue they've been overshadowed, though, by the arrival of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, and the 20-year-old will be keen to restore Real Madrid to the summit of Spanish football. 

Will Bellingham show what he's capable of here and lead his new side to victory against United? Or can Erik ten Haag take his charges to the next level? You'll have to watch the Real Madrid vs Manchester United live stream to find out.

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