Meta ahead of the global football tournament taking place in North America this summer, announced a wide set of football-focused updates across its apps. The updates are designed to support real-time conversations, creator content, and interactive fan engagement across Meta’s platforms.
Meta is also partnering with creators, athletes, and teams to highlight conversation and culture around every match — from pre-game hype to post-game debate.
Partnering with creators, athletes, and teams
Meta is working with broadcasters, national teams, commentators, creators, and players to bring unique points of view on the tournament to its apps.
Key moments, behind-the-scenes content, pre-game preparations, post-game analyses, celebrations, and commiserations will live on Meta apps designed for sharing and discussing with friends, family, and fellow fans.
New features for fans across Meta’s family of apps
Threads
Threads is built for real-time conversation around the things people care about. When something happens on the field, fans can go to Threads for hot takes, banter, and real-time reactions.
Meta is building on this experience with new features and a dedicated community designed for the way fans watch the tournament.
Live Chats
Live Chats include real-time conversations hosted by football commentators, athletes, and creators before, during, and after matches.
Users can react, reply, and talk directly to hosts as events unfold. Sergio Agüero, Argentina football legend, and Ian Wright, former England striker and TV/radio pundit, will each host three Live Chats over the course of the tournament. Users can follow them to get notified when their Live Chats begin. Updated schedules and more hosts will be announced on @threads throughout the tournament.
Football Community
A dedicated tournament community on Threads for match-day conversation, player content, and post-game debate.
Live Scores
Real-time match scores with national team branding appear inline in posts and Live Chats, allowing users to follow matches while chatting.
Team Flair
Users can add a flag badge next to their name and profile picture to represent their country during the tournament.
Stickers
Sticker packs appear in the composer when users start posting about a match.
Custom Emoji
Football and trophy reactions are available for tournament posts (⚽🏆).
Media Highlights
Top content from broadcasters is aggregated for users to view and react to.
Never Miss a Moment
Important conversations are highlighted in Search, and Game Reminders notify users about kickoffs and key moments.
Instagram is being positioned as the main destination for tournament-related content.
Enhanced Search
A new enhanced search experience allows users to find tournament content easily. When users search for the tournament or tap the tournament button on football videos globally, they are taken to a dedicated destination.
This surface includes curated real-time content across Instagram, including top Reels, Stories, and featured accounts from official rights-holding broadcasters and national teams, along with fan content.
AI-powered voice effects
A new “Goal!” AI-powered voice effect is rolling out globally in Instagram DMs. Sending it triggers a surprise animation.
Facebook is introducing football-focused features across the platform.
Football Mode
Football Mode is activated by double-tapping the Facebook logo at the top of Feed. It enables themed reactions and other surprises across the app, along with access to a football game and a custom app icon via long-pressing the logo.
Wear It
Wear It is an AI feature that allows users to virtually try on national team jerseys. Users can share images as profile pictures, Stories, or posts.
To use it, open Stories, select a photo, tap AI Edit, and choose Wear It, then pick a team jersey and share.
Express Yourself
Users get access to tournament-themed stickers, football-inspired design edits, and expressive tools across Facebook.
Facebook also enables users to celebrate wins or reflect on losses by sharing moments in new ways.
Messenger
Messenger is launching features to bring tournament excitement into group chats.
Live Updates
Live Updates bring real-time match highlights into group chats. When enabled, chats shift from delayed reactions to real-time celebrations.
Goals, red cards, and key moments appear instantly with no refreshing and no spoilers. Users can enable it via the plus button in group chats and selecting a game.
Chat Theme
Users can activate a limited-edition football-themed chat background by long-pressing the chat background, turning it into a football pitch theme.
Stickers
Exclusive animated football-themed stickers help users express match emotions.
WhatsApp introduces football-focused features to enhance group communication during the tournament.
Trionda upgrade
In partnership with Adidas, WhatsApp has upgraded the football emoji to the official Trionda match ball, available through the finals. It can be sent in messages or used in reactions.
Calling effects
Football-themed effects are available for video calls, including face and background filters.
Football sticker packs
Dedicated sticker packs help users react to key match moments like missed penalties or controversial decisions.
Dedicated football directory
A football directory brings together teams, scores, updates, countdowns, behind-the-scenes content, and real-time highlights from channels in one place.
Say it with a Status
Channels can post updates to Status during the tournament. Users will see channel statuses alongside regular updates and can view them directly from channel pages. Users can also hide or unfollow channel statuses at any time.
Protecting athletes and fans online
Meta notes that football fans will use its apps to connect during the tournament. While most interactions will be positive, some bad actors may attempt scams or harassment.
To address this, Meta is introducing:
- In-app reminders for ticket-related searches
- Updated anti-scam and anti-abuse systems
- Continued improvements to safety tools across platforms
These measures aim to protect both fans and athletes across Meta apps.
Speaking on the announcement, Rob Pilgrim, Global Football Lead at Meta, said:
We’re about to witness the biggest cultural moment of all time, and Meta will be at the very centre of showcasing the tournament’s action and surrounding culture beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch. As the place where football conversation lives and grows, Meta’s suite of apps will enable billions of fans across the globe to connect and experience the highs and lows of the beautiful game together.