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TL;DR: Live stream Real Madrid vs. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final for free on FIFA+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Imagine winning the FIFA Derby of the Americas and the FIFA Challenger Cup, and your reward is Real Madrid.

Pachuca battled for a spot in the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, only to be matched up with Real Madrid. And Real Madrid didn't even need to qualify, which seems a little unfair on the Mexican side. Of course, Pachuca are not just here to make up the numbers. They will be coming into this final with the goal of upsetting the odds and lifting the trophy.

If you want to watch Real Madrid vs. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the FIFA Intercontinental Cup?

The FIFA Intercontinental Cup is an international men's football competition organised by FIFA. The competition features the club champions of the six confederations of FIFA, and is played as a knockout tournament with the European team receiving a bye to the final.

When is Real Madrid vs. Pachuca?

Real Madrid vs. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 18. This fixture takes place at the Lusail Stadium.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Pachuca for free

Real Madrid vs. Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final is available to live stream for free on FIFA+.

FIFA+ is available worldwide, so fans from all around the world should be able to watch this fixture without spending anything. But if you are having problems accessing this free live stream, you should consider using a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another country, meaning you can bypass content restrictions to unblock free live streams from around the world.

What is the best VPN for FIFA+?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on FIFA+, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Have you ever skipped doing a proper warm down and stretch after a workout because you just didn't have the time? Hey, we all have. It's the bane of a gym-based life.

That's just the reality of trying to stay fit in amongst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. When you're pushed for time, a warm down — never mind a proper massage — is the first thing to go. What you need are the tools to help you stay on top of both your body and your schedule. That means a massage gun, a must-have tool for pro athletes and average gym members alike.

If you have chronic shoulder, neck, or back pain, the ability to give yourself a deep-tissue massage at home can be life-changing. You'll find there's a range of models to hit the spot of your muscle recovery needs. Not sure if you're ready for the big (massage) guns? Let us get you started with some useful information.

How do massage guns work?

Athletes use deep-tissue massage for quick pain relief and faster recovery times. This is when a professional masseuse delivers forceful, rapid thumps to a specific area of the body to stimulate a specific set of muscles. The percussive therapy offered by massage guns allows individuals perform this same type of penetrative tissue attention on themselves without extra help. These devices are said to provide hours worth of massage benefits in just a couple of minutes.

What are the benefits of a massage gun?

Massage guns deliver short-duration pulses to enhance the blood flow, soften knots, and accelerate the repair of muscle fibres, all of which can lead to better-prepared warmups and quicker recovery times. Your mood might see a spike, too. The pressure point relief that massage provides has been linked to decreased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), an increased production of endorphins (the feel-good chemical), and even a lower heart rate.

We should point out that percussive therapy isn't a fix-all solution. A massage gun can replace pricey massage appointments, but there's literally no substitute for the nutrients you get from a balanced diet, sleep, and getting proper hydration are still crucial to the muscle growth and recovery process.

Percussion massagers vs. vibration massagers — what's the difference?

Percussion massagers mimic the kneading hands of a masseuse, providing pressure that hammers below the top layers and work damaged muscle fibres. Perfect for heavy-duty workouts. Casual exercisers and chronic pain sufferers may prefer surface-level rumblings from a vibration massager, which gives speedy pulses but less "punch".

What features do massage guns have?

Massage guns tend to offer some key features that appear in multiple models:

• Battery life — Many people depend on their massage gun for a rushed cool down in the middle of a busy schedule, and charging after every use is a huge inconvenience. The best massage guns will get up to three hours of battery life while the weaker ones max out at around 40 minutes.

• Massage heads – The first thing you'll notice when buying a massage gun is that they usually come with a selection of heads, each designed to work specific muscle groups in a different way and get different results.

• Noise — No one wants to sit at the gym (or at home with a sleeping baby) using a device that sounds like a pneumatic drill. It's impossible for massage guns to be completely silent, but check the reviews for sound levels.

• Speeds — Look for a gun with different speeds, or revs per minute (RPM. But don't forget that higher speed doesn't always mean vigour. The amplitude (how deep the massage head will push into your body) relies on the amount of force behind each pulse, and heavier force on a slow RPM setting will feel more intense than a faster RPM setting with weaker force. 

Keep these points in mind when shopping around for a massage gun.

What is the best massage gun?

There is a lot to know about massage guns, and it's important to do your research before making a purchase. To make your job a little easier, we have tracked down six of the best guns to cover all muscular bases. We've tried to find something for everyone and every budget. You just need to scroll through the options and pick a favourite. Your muscles will thank you — well, they certainly won't complain as much.

These are the best massage guns in 2024.

Fitness trackers, or general wearable devices, have become part and parcel of everyday life. Chances are you've got one or you're thinking of getting one for the first time. Either way, it's always a good time to shop around and see what fitness trackers are available — not to mention smart watches that are packed with health and fitness features, such as the Apple Watch.

The great thing about fitness trackers is the fact they promote healthy routines and positive lifestyle change, helping with exercise, sleep, vitals, and mindset.

Yes, fitness trackers can do an awful lot for you. The difficult part is choosing one. We all have different lifestyles and fitness goals, which means there's no catch-all solution when it comes to fitness trackers. But don't worry, we've searched the internet and scanned the reviews to pull together a selection of the very best fitness tracker options. First up, here's a quick guide.

Can fitness trackers monitor your heart rate?

Absolutely. In fact, one of the big reasons to get a fitness tracker is how they help with heart health. Most fitness trackers will monitor your heart rate as a basic feature, while more advanced trackers can pick up on irregularities, give you on-demand ECG reports, and alert you to changing heart rate zones as you work out.

How do you choose a fitness tracker?

Before you start shopping for a fitness tracker, there are few things to you might want to consider: 

• Design — Wearables are meant to make our lives easier, yet some can be super clunky and uncomfortable. Invest in a fitness tracker that’s not an eyesore and fits nicely on your wrist. You don’t want to cut off your circulation or have it slip off while you’re on the move. Look for models that come in different colours too, so you can have one that goes with your activewear, casual, and work outfits. 

• Physical activity — What are your daily workout needs? Consider how a fitness tracker can benefit your exercise regimen. If you engage in activities like pilates, yoga, or walking, opt for a basic fitness tracker for heart rate monitoring and sleep data. On the other hand, if high-intensity workouts, including running and swimming, are more of your thing, choose a fitness tracker that can give you vital reads and remember your mileage. 

• Power — Most fitness trackers run on batteries or need to be charged regularly. Check the power life of a tracker first before buying it. If it doesn’t last long, skip it and opt for another model. You don’t want to have a tracker that can’t keep up with your physical activity needs. 

• Smartphone compatibility — Your smartphone is probably one of your most important tech devices, so it might be helpful to find a fitness tracker that connects with it. If that’s the case, you can receive call and text notifications when you’re commuting, exercising, or moving around the house. This is a major plus if you're prone to miss phone calls from coworkers, family members, and friends. Plus, some trackers come with smartphone apps, so you can store all your data in one convenient place. 

• Wellness features — A fitness tracker might already monitor heart rate, but what are its other wellness features? Some trackers give you stats on your sleep patterns, daily movement, and distance after workouts. Even though fitness trackers are not meant to cure or prevent any diseases, they can give valuable insights on your physical and mental state. 

What is the best fitness tracker for monitoring heart rate?

Finding the right fitness tracker can be challenging with so many options. You might be an avid athlete or more of an occasional gym rat, but regardless of what your activities are, there is a fitness tracker out there for your health needs.

We've checked out everything on offer from top brands like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple, and lined up a selection of your best options. It's worth taking some time to properly consider these models, because there is something for everyone and every budget.

These are the best heart rate fitness trackers in 2024.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 18 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Handling a task

• Green: Brews with distinct flavors

• Blue: Actions in the financial market

• Purple: Precedes "dome"

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Deal With

• Green: Styles of Beer

• Blue: Investment Verbs

• Purple: ___Dome

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #556 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Deal With: FIELD, HANDLE, MANAGE, TACKLE

• Styles of Beer: BITTER, BOCK, SOUR, STOUT

• Investment Verbs: HEDGE, HOLD, SHORT, TRADE

• ___Dome: CAPITOL, CHROME, ONION, TEAPOT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 18

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 18 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 18 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Large and substantial, but not necessarily heavy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter H.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

HEFTY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 18

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 18 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: You say you want a revolution

These words are things that spin.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are commonly seen spinning, or revolving.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Spinners.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 18

• Pinwheel

• Earth

• Football

• Dryer

• Tires

• Ballerina

• Spinners

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 18 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Fouls on the court

• Green: Yankees #2

• Blue: On skates

• Purple: Different types of balls

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Basketball violations

• Green: Derek Jeter nicknames

• Blue: Roller derby terminology

• Purple: ________ Ball

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #86 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Basketball violations - BACKCOURT, DOUBLE-DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL

• Derek Jeter nicknames - CAPTAIN, DJ, JEETS, MR. NOVEMBER

• Roller derby terminology - BLOCKER, BRIDGING, JAMMER, PIVOT

• _____ Ball - AIR, FOUL, GOLF, LONZO

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.