Is watching football matches on television, whether local or foreign, forbidden or permissible?

It is forbidden to watch football matches that involve financial prizes or similar rewards, as this constitutes gambling. Attending and watching such matches is forbidden for anyone who knows that they involve compensation because it signifies an endorsement of them. However, if the match does not involve compensation, does not distract from an obligatory duty like prayer, and does not include forbidden elements such as the exposure of 'awrah (nakedness), the mixing of women with men, or the presence of musical instruments, then there is no harm in it or in watching it. It is forbidden to watch matches where players appear in short shorts that reveal their thighs, due to the exposure of 'awrah in such cases.