Broadcasters can livestream World Cup matches on TikTok

Original, behind-the-scenes World Cup content is coming to TikTok, too.
 By 
Anna Iovine
 on 
 A football featuring the FIFA World Cup Trophy
Credit: Isabelle Ouvrard/SEPA.Media /Getty Images

Parts of World Cup 2026 matches will be live-streamed on TikTok, FIFA announced on Thursday. As part of a "first-of-its-kind Preferred Platform agreement," the platform will also feature other original content created specifically for TikTok, as well as curated clips.

"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," FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said in the press release.

FIFA and TikTok will also build a creator program, giving select TikTokkers access to behind-the-scenes moments like press conferences and training sessions. A wider group of creators will be able to use archival FIFA footage. (TikTok will apparently implement anti-piracy policies, per the announcement.)


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A World Cup hub will live in the app, powered by TikTok GamePlan, a product suite for sports fans and creators announced in December. The suite includes a search hub and destination for fans to discover accounts, check schedules, add games to their calendars, buy tickets, and create their own content. The World Cup hub will also feature custom stickers, filters, and gamification features.

FIFA's partnership with TikTok runs until the end of 2026.

TikTok's global head of content, James Stafford, stated in the press release, "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."

UPDATE: Jan. 9, 2026, 4:58 p.m. EST The headline of this article was updated to clarify that TikTok the platform will not be livestreaming the World Cup but rather broadcasters can livestream clips from matches on the platform.

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Anna Iovine
Associate Editor, Features

Anna Iovine is the associate editor of features at Mashable. Previously, as the sex and relationships reporter, she covered topics ranging from dating apps to pelvic pain. Before Mashable, Anna was a social editor at VICE and freelanced for publications such as Slate and the Columbia Journalism Review. Follow her on Bluesky.

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