January 9 – FIFA has appointed TikTok  as its first ever ‘Preferred Platform’ for the 2026 World Cup in an agreement that will see live broadcast of match segments, as well as access to press conferences and training sessions to a select group of creators for fan content.

TikTok’s head of global head James Stafford said that TikTok’s data shows fans are “42% more likely to tune in to live matches after watching sports content on TikTok.”

“Football has experienced explosive global growth on TikTok over the past few years, and as FIFA’s first-ever Preferred Platform we’re excited for fans to experience the FIFA World Cup 2026 beyond the 90 minutes.”

The deal runs through the end of 2026 and builds on the collaboration at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which FIFA says generated tens of billions of views (ed note, total world population is currently 8.2 billion).

The TikTok deal, said FIFA, is geared towards storytelling around the event itself, which as well as curated match clips, will include behind-the-scenes access, and creator-led coverage designed to display the tournament beyond the 90 minutes of action on the pitch.

“FIFA’s goal is to share the exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with as many fans as possible, and 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,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.

“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.”

TikTok will host a dedicated World Cup hub, featuring match-related content alongside practical information such as ticketing and viewing details. Interactive elements like stickers, filters, and light gamification are meant to encourage participation rather than simply passive viewing.

A central pillar of the deal is a new creator programme. Selected creators will be granted access to press conferences, training sessions, and other off-field moments, while a broader group will be able to co-create content using FIFA’s archive. The idea is to show the tournament through voices that feel familiar to fans, not just official channels.

As FIFA’s fan engagement numbers boasts expand beyond the number of people there are in the world, the real test of the social media deal will be against the world’s broadcasters viewing figures whose audiences have created the greatest show on earth, and whose rights fees have paid for it.

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