FIFA has entered into a first-of-its-kind preferred platform agreement with TikTok, marking a significant step in its digital strategy ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Under the agreement, TikTok has become FIFA’s official preferred platform for the tournament, reinforcing the governing body’s focus on engaging younger, digital-native audiences in the build-up to and during the expanded 48-team World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The partnership, which runs through the end of 2026, positions TikTok at the centre of FIFA’s digital content distribution strategy. A dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 hub will be launched on the platform, offering fans access to official videos, highlights, behind-the-scenes content, ticketing information, interactive tools, and tournament-specific activations.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said, “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.”
“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. As football grows and evolves – uniting an increasing number of people – so should the way it is shared and promoted.”
James Stafford, Global Head of Content, TikTok, added, “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.
“TikTok GamePlan turns fandom into measurable business results for our sports partners, with fans being 42% more likely to tune in to live matches after watching sports content on TikTok. We’re reaching the next generation of football fans – particularly younger and female audiences – and converting that passion into real tune-in and engagement at unprecedented scale.”
As part of the agreement, FIFA and TikTok will collaborate on original, platform-native content designed specifically for short-form video. Official FIFA World Cup media partners will be permitted to publish authorised clips, curated highlights and selected live content on TikTok, extending broadcast reach while preserving content rights integrity.
A central element of the partnership is a structured global creator programme. Selected TikTok creators will receive accredited access to FIFA World Cup 2026 events, including press conferences and team training sessions, enabling them to deliver exclusive storytelling from within the tournament environment. Creators will also be authorised to co-create content using approved FIFA archival footage.
From a commercial perspective, the partnership creates new monetisation opportunities for broadcasters, sponsors and rights holders through TikTok’s premium advertising and brand integration solutions. TikTok will also deploy enhanced anti-piracy measures to protect FIFA’s intellectual property across the platform.
The agreement builds on the success of previous FIFA and TikTok collaborations, most notably during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, when tournament-related content generated billions of views and high levels of global engagement.
With the 2026 edition set to be the largest FIFA World Cup in history, the partnership underscores FIFA’s broader strategy to complement traditional broadcast coverage with social-first distribution, creator-led storytelling and interactive fan experiences.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be staged across 16 host cities in North America and is expected to attract record global audiences across broadcast and digital platforms.
