The Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream unfortunately won't see Lionel Messi play his first minutes in a PSG shirt — the superstar forward has again been left out of the squad as he recovers full fitness. Nor will his fellow South American Neymar return from his extended summer break — but there's still plenty to look forward to from PSG's all-star team.
The Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream takes place today (Friday, August 20).
► Time 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
• U.K. — Watch on BT Sport
• U.S. — Watch on BeIN Sports via Sling or Fubo.TV
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
The arrival of Lionel Messi has been the talk of the footballing world for the last fortnight. The 34-year-old left Barcelona this summer after more than two decades at the club, due to a failure to renegotiate his contract. His debut for PSG is one of the most anticipated events in football, but it won't happen against Brest.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino had previously insisted that Messi won't start until he's "fully fit," and given that he didn't have a proper pre-season as he was playing for Argentina in Copa America, this game has come too soon. Next weekend's match against Reims is being tipped by some pundits as Messi's likely debut.
Neymar was expected to return here, but despite being back in training with the team, he's also been omitted from the squad against Brest. Winger Angel Di Maria and midfielder Marco Verratti are both available to play, though, and Verratti starts with Di Maria on the bench.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could have made his debut, but he's also a substitute. However, two other summer signings, Geroginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi, keep their places in the starting lineup. Up front, Kylian Mbappe and Mauro Icardi are great options; even without Messi, Neymar and Di Mario, PSG are the firm favorites here.
Brest have started the season with a pair of 1-1 draws against Lyon and Rennes. These certainly aren't bad results considering those sides finished in the top six last season, whereas Brest narrowly survived relegation by only a single point, however, PSG are a different beast. Expect Brest to try to keep compact and limit PSG's chances, but the Parisians will surely have too much firepower to be contained.
The odds certainly favor PSG: Caesars Sportsbook has them at -450, with a draw at +550 and Brest an unlikely +1200.
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Want to see if PSG can continue their winning start to the season? You can find out by watching a Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream — and we'll show you how to do that below. And don't forget to check out our how to watch Premier League 21/22 hub if you want to catch some top-flight English football this season too.
How to watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream wherever you are
The Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain 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.
How to watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream in the US
Soccer fans in the U.S. can watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream on beIN Sports and on beIN Sports Connect with a valid cable login. You can also watch from the beIN Sports Connect app available on Android, iOS and Roku.
If you've cut the cord and don't have cable, you have plenty of options, too. Our pick of these would be Sling TV: the Sling Blue package costs just $35 per month and comes with more than 30 channels. However, you will need to spend an extra $11 a month for the Sports Extra package in order to get access to beIN Sports. Right now Sling is offering a 30-day trial for the bargain price of $10.
Fubo.TV is another option. This costs $65 per month but gives you more than 117 channels, including beIN Sports, plus lots more for sports fans to enjoy.
If you already use those services but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream in Canada
Canadians can watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream on beIN Sports or via beIN Connect with valid cable credentials. Cord cutters in Canada can watch the game through Fubo.TV and there's even a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay upfront.
Canadians stuck abroad that still want to watch the match 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 Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream in the UK
BT Sport has the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream in the U.K., as the sports network currently holds the exclusive rights to broadcast every Ligue 1 game in the U.K.
Prices differ hugely depending on whether you already have BT TV and a BT broadband subscription. If you have both, you can add the Sports package for £15/month plus a £20 upfront fee, or go for the £40/month Big Sports package which also includes all of the Sky Sports channels.
Another option for non-BT subscribers is the BT Sport Monthly Pass (£25), which lets you watch via an app for a fixed time and doesn't require a lengthy subscription.
All sounds great, right? But if you're not in the U.K., you can still follow the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream in Australia
Aussies can watch the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream on Kayo Sport. Kayo can be accessed via a dedicated mobile or tablet app, and also on Chromecast and Apple TV — plus it costs a very reasonable $25 AUD per month for the basic package. A premium subscription is also available for $35 AUD per month, but it's not necessary to access the Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain live stream.
There's also a 14-day free trial available if you want to try the service before committing to a subscription.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN to watch all the action on your Kayo Sport account, as if you were back home.
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