FIFA is doubling down on digital-first engagement as it prepares for the 2026 World Cup, announcing a new partnership with TikTok aimed at expanding the tournament’s global reach and reshaping how fans experience football’s biggest event.
Soccer’s world governing body confirmed the collaboration on Thursday, revealing that TikTok will serve as the tournament’s first Preferred Platform. The agreement mirrors a similar partnership between both organizations during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which saw significant audience engagement across short-form video and creator-led content.
As part of the deal, FIFA will allow TikTok to livestream selected moments from World Cup matches, share curated highlights, and develop exclusive, platform-specific content tailored to TikTok’s global audience. Broadcasters covering the tournament will also be able to monetize their World Cup content directly on TikTok, signaling a growing integration between traditional sports media and social platforms.
For fans, the partnership introduces a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 hub on TikTok. The hub will act as a central discovery space where users can access match clips, behind-the-scenes moments, creator content, and official FIFA updates throughout the tournament. The goal is to keep fans engaged beyond full-length broadcasts, meeting them where they already consume sports content.
Creators will play a central role in the strategy. TikTok announced a special program that will grant a select group of global creators behind-the-scenes access to the tournament, including press conferences and training sessions. According to the announcement, the initiative is designed to offer fans “unique, relatable perspectives” on the World Cup experience, blending official coverage with authentic, creator-driven storytelling.
In addition, a broader pool of creators will be permitted to use FIFA’s archival footage during the tournament, opening the door for remixes, commentary, explainers, and creative interpretations of iconic World Cup moments. The move reflects FIFA’s recognition of creator culture as a powerful driver of engagement, particularly among younger audiences.
“FIFA’s goal is to share the exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with as many fans as possible,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström. “We can’t think of a better way to further that mission during the biggest event in sports history than to have TikTok as the tournament’s first Preferred Platform.”
TikTok, for its part, views the partnership as a tool to deepen fan engagement and drive live viewership. James Stafford, TikTok’s global head of content, said data shows that users exposed to sports content on the platform are 42 percent more likely to watch live matches. He added that TikTok is uniquely positioned to reach new demographics, particularly younger fans and women, and convert digital engagement into real-time tune-in.
The collaboration underscores a broader shift in how sports organizations approach audience growth. As younger viewers increasingly consume highlights, commentary, and analysis through social platforms rather than traditional television, leagues and governing bodies are rethinking distribution strategies to remain culturally relevant.
For FIFA, the timing is strategic. The 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring an expanded format and a significantly larger global audience. Partnering with a platform that thrives on immediacy, virality, and creator influence allows FIFA to amplify its reach far beyond conventional broadcast windows.
More broadly, the deal highlights how major sporting events are no longer defined solely by what happens on the pitch. They are also shaped by digital conversations, short-form storytelling, and real-time fan interaction. By aligning with TikTok, FIFA is positioning the 2026 World Cup not just as a month-long football tournament, but as a continuous, global digital experience.
As sports organizations compete for attention in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, reaching audiences where they already are has become essential. For FIFA, partnering with TikTok appears less like a risk and more like an inevitable step into the future of sports consumption.