World Cup fever has come to TikTok. When the 2026 edition of soccer’s quadrennial international tournament kicks off in June, TikTok will serve as FIFA‘s “Preferred Platform” for live match footage, press conference coverage, training ground updates, and more.
This is the first time that FIFA has designated an official Preferred Platform for a World Cup, but soccer’s global organizing body is building on its existing relationship with TikTok. During the most recent Women’s World Cup in 2023, FIFA delivered highlights through an official account. According to The Athletic, a related hashtag received 1.8 billion views during the tournament.
Three years later, the worlds of sports and social media have become more entwined. A desire for creator perspectives helped Brazilian YouTube channel CazéTV land a gig as an official World Cup broadcaster. Brands are emphasizing soccer as they launch their own creator programs, and media companies with ties to the pitch are landing significant investments. TikTok is still a major player as well; in its official announcement of the FIFA deal, the app noted that soccer fans are “42% more likely to tune in to live matches after watching sports content on TikTok.”
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“This is an innovative and creative collaboration that will connect more fans across the globe to the FIFA World Cup in unprecedented ways, bringing them behind the curtain and closer to the action than ever before,” added FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström in a statement. “As football grows and evolves – uniting an increasing number of people – so should the way it is shared and promoted.”
When it comes to pro sports coverage on social media, YouTube has emerged as the leader in the clubhouse. It is the distributor of the NFL Sunday Ticket package, the broadcaster of regular-season NFL action, and the home base for creators who have cut deals with the MLB and NBA.
When it comes to soccer, however, much of the cultural conversation flows through short-form video — and that format is right in TikTok’s wheelhouse. Vertical video stars like Celine Dept and John Nellis have brought in millions of followers and billions of views by distilling the beautiful game into super-short snippets.
In its role as FIFA’s Preferred Platform, TikTok will look to promote those individual perspectives. Some creators will receive behind-the-scenes access to World Cup players and teams. Others will be able to use FIFA’s vast library of archival footage to spruce up their videos.
Those opportunities will bring a new dimension to this summer’s World Cup — and the FIFA/TikTok partnership won’t end there. The deal will run through the end of 2026, so new fans will be able to turn to FYP faves as they prepare for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
