As fans around the world get excited for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Meta has already introduced new features for football-related content on all of its social media platforms and has announced all the new tools that will help fans in the tournament, such as the FIFA World Cup 2026, with its soccer fever and football-based players, as the world's biggest sports festival is on its way right now.
The updates will be rolled out across Threads, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp throughout the tournament. Meta is also working with broadcasters, football teams, players, creators and commentators to offer exclusive content, live conversations, match highlights, and real-time updates to users around the world.
Threads introduces live football conversations
One of the most important additions to Threads is Meta, introducing a new Live Chats feature for football discussion.
The feature will allow users to engage in real-time chat before, during and after the match. The most popular football personalities, creators and commentators will host those discussions and give fans a forum to interact with the global football community in real time.
Sergio Aguero and former England star Ian Wright are among the first hosts to be announced for the feature. Meta also confirmed that additional hosts and football-centric events will be featured in the tournament.
Threads is also launching a dedicated football community with match-day conversations, player updates, post-match analysis, live scores, team profile flairs, football-themed stickers, and custom emoji reactions.
Instagram Gets a Dedicated World Cup Hub
Instagram users will get access to a new World Cup content hub that brings curated Reels and Stories from broadcasters, national teams, creators, and football influencers.
It also has a new AI-powered messaging experience built in for AI-powered messaging. Users will be able to add a special “Goal!” voice effect to direct messages. When activated, the effect will generate football-inspired animations for chat messages and will make conversations feel more like match-day conversations.
The decision is in line with Instagram’s increasingly sports-centric goals and creator-centred content in big global events.
Facebook introduces Football Mode and AI Jersey Try-On
Facebook is rolling out a special football mode to make tournament play more interactive.
You can activate the feature by double-tapping the top of the Facebook logo on your News feed. Once it is turned on, football mode will reveal themed reactions, surprise effects, and an interactive football mini-game specifically designed for the World Cup.
Meta has also added a new AI-powered “Wear It” feature. This tool allows users to try on their favourite national team’s jersey and share the generated images as profile pictures, Stories, or regular posts.
The feature combines artificial intelligence and social sharing and is not only useful for social media sharing, but it also gives fans an enhanced view into the fans’ support of their teams for the tournament.
Messenger brings live match updates to group chats
Messenger is getting new football-related features, including a new Live Updates feature.
The tool will deliver instant notifications about goals, red cards, penalties, substitutions, and other major match events directly into group chats with friends and family members watching games together.
Messenger users will also have access to football-themed chat backgrounds, animated sticker packs and event-specific visual effects created for the World Cup.
WhatsApp Partners With Adidas
WhatsApp is working with Adidas to develop exclusive football-themed experiences during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
As part of the partnership, the standard football emoji will be transformed into the tournament’s official match ball, Trionda. Users will also receive extra sticker packs, themed video call effects, and football-inspired visual elements.
Meta is also creating a football section in WhatsApp that provides live scores, team information, tournament updates and content from official football sources.
Enhanced safety measures during the tournament
As well as the entertainment features, Meta has emphasised user safety throughout the World Cup.
The company says it has strengthened protections against ticket scams, phishing attempts, harassment, and abusive behaviour across its platforms. Users will receive further warnings, reminders and educational channels to recognise suspicious activity and safeguard their accounts.
With billions of football fans expected to follow the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, Meta’s latest updates illustrate how social media platforms are increasingly becoming central hubs for sports engagement. In the process, Meta will bring fans closer to the action in football’s biggest tournament by way of live conversations, AI-powered experiences, real-time match updates and more extensive safety tools.
