FIFA is working with social apps and streaming platforms to expand the reach of the 2026 World Cup. On Tuesday, the global soccer organization announced that it has forged a "game-changing partnership" with YouTube, naming it a preferred platform to bring the tournament experience to fans in fresh ways. FIFA struck a similar deal with TikTok earlier this year.
Instead of simply watching the matches on television, this new deal aims to expand and enhance the viewing experience. Licensed broadcasters for the World Cup will be able to livestream the first 10 minutes of each match throughout the tournament. The goal, as it were, is to encourage streaming viewers to finish viewing the matches through more conventional TV-viewing methods.
FIFA's media partners will be granted access to a select number of games, which will be made available in full on their YouTube channels. A global selection of YouTube creators will have access to every angle of these matches, enabling them to create their own custom World Cup-themed content to provide fresh perspectives, match breakdowns and other behind-the-scenes content.
Viewers will also be able to tap into FIFA's World Cup digital archive on YouTube, which will include "full-length past matches and many more iconic moments in the sport's history."
"This collaboration with YouTube reinforces our ambition to maximise the tournament's impact across the ever-evolving media landscape, offering fans everywhere easy access to an immersive view of the biggest single-sport event in history," said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.
The global soccer tournament -- which begins on Thursday, June 11 and concludes on Sunday, July 1 -- will take place in Canada, Mexico and the US.
Soccer fans in the US can view the 2026 World Cup live on Fox and FS1. If you're interested in watching the matches without cable, subscribing to a live TV streaming service that includes those channels, such as YouTube TV, is your best bet. Every game will also stream live on Fox One and the Fox Sports app.
