The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is set to become the most widely distributed tournament on social media in history, at least on one of its biggest platforms, YouTube, following a landmark agreement announced by FIFA. “FIFA is proud to announce that YouTube will be the preferred platform for the 2026 World Cup. Through collaboration with the competition’s audiovisual rights holders and a range of creators, this historic partnership between the two organizations will give fans more ways to enjoy the tournament,” FIFA said in a statement.

In practical terms, rights-holding broadcasters ((In the United States, Fox Sports holds English-language rights and Telemundo holds Spanish-language rights) will be able to use their YouTube channels to publish extended highlights, exclusive footage, short-form videos and on-demand content.

The major innovation is that, for the first time in the tournament’s history, rights holders will be allowed to stream the first 10 minutes of every match live on YouTube. Those same official channels will also be able to stream a selection of full matches on the platform.

More World Cup content on YouTube

Part of FIFA’s digital archive will also be made available on its YouTube channel, including full classic matches and many of the sport’s most iconic moments, aimed at building anticipation ahead of the tournament.

“The partnership with YouTube strengthens our goal of expanding the competition’s reach in an evolving media landscape, offering fans around the world an accessible and immersive way to experience the largest single-sport event in history,” said FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström.

FIFA and YouTube will also work with a global roster of creators to produce content ranging from human-interest stories to tactical analysis and behind-the-scenes footage, giving audiences entirely new perspectives on the tournament.

The agreement reinforces FIFA’s broader strategy and highlights the ongoing shift in content distribution, with a growing emphasis on digital platforms alongside traditional television.

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