The UEFA Champions League play-off round continued Tuesday with several key matches streaming live in Ireland on RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play, offering Irish viewers free access to the games. RTÉ is broadcasting games with English commentary.
This season marks a significant change for the Champions League, with the introduction of a novel ‘Swiss format’ expanding the competition to 36 teams. The format includes eight matchdays and is expected to produce unexpected results, according to tournament previews. The final is scheduled for May 30, 2026, at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are competing against other European football giants including Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona. The play-off phase began on February 17th.
In addition to free-to-air options, Irish viewers can also stream all Champions League games through premium services like TNT Sports (via NOW) and Prime Video. However, concerns about online privacy and geo-blocking have prompted recommendations for using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) like Surfshark to ensure secure and unrestricted access, particularly when utilizing free streaming methods.
The availability of free streams has prompted warnings about potential monitoring of online activity by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), the Irish Government, and streaming platforms. Using a VPN is suggested to protect private data and bypass geo-restrictions.
Recent matches in the play-off phase included a surprise win for Bodo/Glimt over Inter Milan, a decisive victory for Galatasaray against Juventus, and competitive games between Benfica and Real Madrid, and Monaco and PSG.
RTÉ Player is currently streaming five games this week, alongside offerings from Virgin Media Play. Viewers outside of Ireland may require a VPN, such as NordVPN, to access these streams.
