YouTube has struck a partnership with FIFA that will make the Google-owned video platform a “Preferred Platform” for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The agreement is designed to give fans, media partners and creators broader access to tournament-related content across YouTube, including archive footage, highlights, short-form clips and selected live programming.
Under the deal, FIFA will expand the use of its official YouTube channel by making content from its digital archive available, including full-length classic matches and historic moments from previous tournaments.
YouTube said the partnership will also open up new opportunities for FIFA’s official media partners. These include access to a broader library of match footage for use across extended highlights, behind-the-scenes content, Shorts and video-on-demand.
In a significant addition, media partners will, for the first time, have the option to livestream the opening 10 minutes of every match on their YouTube channels. Selected partners will also be able to stream a limited number of full matches in their entirety on the platform.
FIFA said the partnership would help extend the reach of tournament coverage as attention turns to the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The deal also gives YouTube creators greater access to the competition, with FIFA and its media partners set to work with a global group of creators producing content ranging from tactical analysis to behind-the-scenes features and human-interest stories.
Mattias Grafström, FIFA Secretary General, said the agreement would help engage fans in new ways while broadening access to FIFA content across the evolving media landscape.
The partnership underlines YouTube’s growing role as both a promotional and distribution platform for premium live sports, while giving FIFA and its rights-holding broadcasters new tools to reach younger and more digitally-focused audiences ahead of the 2026 tournament.
