TIKTOK LIVESTREAM AND FIFA WORLD CUP

FIFA and TikTok are in partnership to make football matches more accessible, writes SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE

          With an upgraded number of teams from 32 to 48, the game of Football gets more exciting as FIFA and TikTok announce a partnership that will make viewing the matches seamlessly available via livestream. Some 30 content creators have also been appointed to document behind-the-scenes activities, ready for streaming. The partnership between FIFA and TikTok will run until December 2026 in the first instance. This is the first of its kind in football history, making the matches more accessible, with an innovative partnership set to bring millions of fans even closer to the action and excitement at the FIFA World Cup 2026. TikTok, one of the planet’s most influential and dynamic destinations for mobile video content, will become FIFA’s first-ever Preferred Platform. This will lead to enhanced collaboration and integration, enabling TikTok to offer more comprehensive FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage, including more original content, while becoming the go-to place for fans and creators throughout the tournament. This first-of-its-kind Preferred Platform agreement builds on the groundbreaking tie-up between FIFA and TikTok for the FIFA Women’s

World Cup 2023, which resulted in tens of billions of views. TikTok says that users can access its FIFA World Cup 2026 hubs within the main TikTok app by searching “FIFA World Cup.” These hubs are powered by TikTok Gameplan, a suite of products designed to help sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters increase discovery and deepen fan engagement. “The hub is where users can go to discover content, creators, and broadcaster highlights from the tournament.” The TikTok innovation is happening for the first time at a time FIFA upgraded the number of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup tournaments from 32 to 48 teams spread in 12 groups of four teams each.

  TikTok last week announced the launch of a new stand-alone app in the United States of America (USA). The app will be dedicated to cultural milestones like the FIFA World Cup. The new app is named and styled TikTok Pro Events, and “allows users to engage with other fans, explore trending videos, and access curated creator feeds. TikTok says users aged 18 and above can earn “Stars,” “which can be redeemed for exclusive benefits, by completing fan-focused activities within the app, such as searching for trending hashtags, visiting the FIFA World Cup hub, and sharing content. These exclusive benefits include official FIFA World Cup merchandise through a dedicated in-app redemption store, TikTok Shop coupons, or the opportunity to direct TikTok-funded charitable donations through a partnership with Feeding America. The new concept will elevate access, opportunities and promotion of original content for fans as part of FIFA’s strategy to engage with third-party social platforms. The Partnership will be anchored by TikTok’s FIFA World Cup 2026 hub and include behind-the-scenes access, a global creator programme and more. Event’s Media Partners to benefit from additional curated content and live-streaming possibilities. FIFA Secretary General Mattias  Grafstrom was quoted as saying that “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.”
       Running until the end of 2026, the partnership also unlocks significant opportunities for official FIFA World Cup 2026 Media Partners on TikTok, including the ability to live-stream parts of matches, post more curated clips and access special content produced by FIFA for TikTok.  Broadcasters will also be able to monetise their FIFA World Cup™ coverage through TikTok’s premium advertising solutions. Finally, TikTok will implement anti-piracy policies that support and protect FIFA’s intellectual property. The Preferred Platform partnership will be anchored by TikTok’s immersive FIFA World Cup 2026 hub, a bustling nexus powered by TikTok Gameplan that will enable fans to discover engaging content that brings the 48-team tournament to life alongside match ticket and viewing information, as well as participation incentives like custom stickers, filters and gamification features. For the first time, FIFA and TikTok will build a robust creator programme that will provide a select group of global TikTok creators with game-changing access to incredible behind-the-scenes moments such as press conferences and training sessions – and, in the process, give fans unique, relatable perspectives on the FIFA World Cup experience on TikTok. Additionally, a wide group of creators will receive the opportunity to use and co-create FIFA archival footage. “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, with exclusive content and unprecedented creator access,” said James Stafford, Global Head of Content, TikTok.  During this World Cup, TikTok users will experience a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 Hub featuring custom stickers, gamification, and behind-the-scenes content from 30 global Creator Correspondents. Fans can also track live conversations and trending clips on the newly launched TikTok Pro Events standalone app. The tournament, taking place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 host cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico, brings a major shift in how fans follow soccer online. Key features and experiences users will encounter on TikTok include the Main App Hub,  accessible by searching “FIFA World Cup. This nexus is powered by TikTok Gameplan. It aggregates official match schedules, ticket information, viewing details, and user-generated content. A standalone app built specifically for US users aged 18+ to track live conversations and participate in fan activities to earn in-app rewards like “Stars”. FIFA and TikTok selected a global team of 30 content creators to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to press conferences, training sessions, and the fan experience. Creators and fans will gain access to co-create content using historical FIFA archive footage.

Despite the prospects of innovation, Tok has received queries on how it is protecting the data of Americans. For instance, on May 29, 2026, U.S. Democratic Senator Ed Markey formally asked TikTok’s newly ​formed U.S. joint venture and cloud computing giant Oracle (ORCL.N) to open a new tab to explain how they ‌are protecting the personal data of American users and preventing foreign entities from influencing which videos American users are shown on the app. The move comes four months after TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, finalised a ​deal to transfer control of the app’s U.S. user data and operations to the ​joint venture TikTok USDS in a bid to avoid a government ban on ⁠the platform, which is used by more than 200 million Americans.

Aragba-Akpore is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board