As part of its effort to "accelerate the democratisation of football", FIFA has launched a free video streaming service where it will broadcast over 40,000 domestic and international matches each year, alongside archive footage, replays and original documentaries.
Content available on FIFA Plus is ad-supported and free to users. It will not affect existing match broadcast rights, at least initially, and you won't be able to view any games from the upcoming Qatar World Cup.
FIFA Plus launches with 1400 live games per month, streamed in HD, rising to 40,000 from 100 Member Associations across its six confederations by the end of 2022. There will be some coverage from Europe’s top leagues but also expect to see previously unserved competitions from around the world - including Jordan, Angola, Poland, Mexico and Denmark - in men’s, women’s and youth football.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, “FIFA Plus represents the next step in our vision to make football truly global and inclusive, and it underpins FIFA’s core mission of expanding and developing football globally.
“This project represents a cultural shift in the way different types of football fans want to connect with and explore the global game."
Despite not showing any of the upcoming Qatar fixtures, the FIFA Plus archive will host content that includes every FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup match ever recorded on camera. The catalogue will consist of 2500 hours of footage at launch, including full games and highlights dating back to the 1950s, with more being added continuously.
Alongside games, FIFA Plus has an ambitious slate of original documentaries, series, and punditry available across 11 languages - that it says will tell "stories from local grassroots to national teams and footballing heroes past and present from more than 40 countries."
FIFA says its offering will continue to grow throughout the year but currently includes:
- Ronaldinho: The Happiest Man in the World An exclusive, feature-length documentary offering extensive access to and never-seen-before archive of one of the most iconic players to have played the game. The 90-minute film directed by Stuart and Andrew Douglas, produced by Bernie Goldmann and by Simon Horsman and Jeffrey Soros of Los Angeles Media Fund, tells the unique story of the player’s life, charting his rise from the streets of Brazil to becoming one of football’s most loved players. Lionel Messi, Frank Rijkaard and Carles Puyol all feature and reveal what this FIFA Legend means to them.
- Captains An 8-part series from Fulwell 73 (Sunderland ‘Til I Die, All or Nothing: Juventus) following six captains as they lead their countries through qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The series, which will explore each individual’s leadership traits, features Luka Modrić (Croatia), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Brian Kaltak (Vanuatu), Andre Blake (Jamaica), Hassan Maatouk (Lebanon) and Thiago Silva (Brazil).
- Croatia: Defining a Nation This original feature-length documentary tells the story of how football unites and binds this nation and a group of friends who reached global recognition against the backdrop of the most extreme adversity. They each became legends and painted their country across the world. From acclaimed director Louis Myles (Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football, Liverpool FC: The 30-Year Wait).
- HD Cutz An original 8-part docuseries with barber to the stars Sheldon Edwards talking food, fashion, music and, sometimes, football. Featuring the likes of Paul Pogba and Antonio Rüdiger.
- Dani Crazy Dream An all-access documentary series featuring Dani Alves, the most decorated player in history as he tries to make it to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
- Golden Boot An original docuseries interviewing the greatest FIFA World Cup goalscorers, produced by Goalhanger Films (Wayne Rooney: The Man Behind the Goals). Episode 1 sees Gary Lineker sitting down with Brazilian great Ronaldo Nazário to rewatch the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
- Icons A docuseries showcasing five of the biggest game-changers of the women’s game: Wendie Renard, Lucy Bronze, Asisat Oshoala, Carli Lloyd and Sam Kerr telling their stories in their own words. Produced by Noah Media Group (14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, Finding Jack Charlton).
- Academies The inside story of some of the greatest talent production lines in world football from Shoot the Company. Season 1 tells the story of RSC Anderlecht.
FIFA Plus can be accessed via web browsers as well as Android and iOS apps, with support for TV apps coming later in the year. Initially, it's available in five languages (English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish) with Mandarin, Bahasa, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Arabic and Hindi versions to follow in June 2022.
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