The UEFA Champions League continues for round 2 on Tuesday and one of the pick of the ties is Benfica’s visit to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Tuesday.
This is a must-win match for both sides — and it also marks the return of ‘The Special One’, José Mourinho, to SW6.
Kick-off is 3 P.M. ET / 8 P.M. BST / 5 A.M., Wednesday (AEST)
Viewers in Ireland can stream the match for free on Virgin Media Play.
But, can you access Virgin Media Play in the U.K., U.S., Australia and Canada? Read on and we’ll show you how to watch UEFA Champions League live streams from anywhere with a VPN for FREE.
Soccer fan from Ireland? You’re in luck as Virgin Media Play via the Virgin Media Two channel will be showing Chelsea vs Benfica in the 2025/26 Champions League.
Virgin Media Two is a free-to-air channel in Ireland, you only need an account to stream it live.
We watched Virgin Media Play’s coverage of the opening week of the Champions League and it was superb, no complaints!
Outside Ireland for Chelsea vs Benfica? Use NordVPN to make it appear as if your device is still in the Emerald Isle for the fixture — more on that below.
How to watch Chelsea vs Benfica from anywhere
Although Virgin Media Play is only available to Irish residents, fans who are traveling outside of Ireland for Chelsea vs Benfica to the the likes of the U.S., U.K. and Canada can still stream the game using a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
A VPN sets your devices to appear back in your home country, regardless of where you are in the world. It’s ideal for soccer fans away on business or vacation for this week’s fixtures. Our favorite is NordVPN. It’s the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you’re in Canada and want to view an Irish service, you’d select Ireland from the listed countries.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Virgin Media Play and watch the action.
Virgin Media Play Q+A
Virgin Media Play will be broadcasting full coverage of the Chelsea vs Benfica game with pre-match build-up beginning at 7:40 P.M. BST / 2:40 P.M. ET.
Commentary will be available in English and you will be able to watch the live stream in HD.
The streaming service are also showing a host of other games this week including Kairat Almaty vs Real Madrid, Union-Saint Gilloise vs Newcastle and Barcelona vs PSG.
REMEMBER. Use NordVPN if you’re outside of Ireland on business or vacation.
- Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
- Android TV (please note: some models aren’t supported)
- Android (Mobile & Tablet) – Android 7.0 and above
- Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
- Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
- Freely
- Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
- Freeview Play (TVs and set‑top boxes) (some models aren’t supported)
- iOS (iPhone & iPad) – iOS 14 and above
- LG Smart TVs (2016‑2024)
- NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
- PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
- Roku (Stick & Roku‑OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
- Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above)
- Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream puck
- Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
- YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
- Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)
More from Tom’s Guide
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
