Evidently not content being the premier film and TV streaming service on the planet, Netflix is stepping up its game around coverage of global sporting events, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coinciding with a multimedia push that will see the Big N among the go-to destinations for shows, movies, podcasts, and even video games themed around the tournament.
By leveraging smart deals and partnerships and carefully timing the release cadence of their usual styles of content, Netflix is offering global football fans a wide-ranging bevy of on-brand coverage, meaning it’s going to be difficult for anyone interested in the sport and the tournament to avoid Netflix from June 11-July 19, and indeed at any point after, given the variety and longevity of their themed coverage.
For the discerning football fan and the long-time Netflix subscribers who want all the platform’s World Cup and World Cup-adjacent content in one place, I’m here to help. I’ve rounded up everything below and will keep updating the list with new releases as and when more information becomes available.
FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition
With Netflix currently supporting TV gaming in 20 markets, including major World Cup hotspots like the UK, the U.S., and Brazil, the streamer was never going to pass up the opportunity to expand its gaming division through an official FIFA partnership.
From June 11, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition will be available for free to all subscribers. Co-created by Delphi Interactive, the game features all 48 participating nations, 16 host venues and more than 1,200 players. It’s basically a pared-down version of the traditional annual release for home consoles and PC, allowing up to four players to compete at the same time using their smartphones.
The Rest Is Football
Netflix has partnered with former England footballer Gary Lineker’s media production company Goalhanger to air a daily visualised podcast, The Rest Is Football, throughout the 2026 World Cup. The show is hosted by Lineker alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards and is carrying seven million monthly streams to Netflix’s platform.
Live from New York, Lineker and the team will provide daily updates, insight, analysis, interviews, and more throughout the tournament. Netflix getting into the podcast market makes a ton of sense, and the daily release cadence will help to make Netflix one of the go-to spots for timely World Cup coverage.
Shows and Movies
Of course, Netflix is continuing to drop content pretty much daily throughout the World Cup, but it’s no coincidence that many of the releases revolve around – or are at least adjacent to – the tournament. Here’s everything we could find:
USA 94: Brazil’s Return to Glory
A feature chronicling Brazil’s fourth World Cup win at the California Rose Bowl. Brazilian footballer Dener and F1 legend Ayrton Senna died the same year, and the documentary from Luis Ara is as much a tribute to what was lost as it is to the historic victory.
Norway: The Dark Horse
A two-part documentary following Norway’s qualification process for the 2026 World Cup, breaking a 26-year curse that has kept the men’s national team away from the big stage for an entire generation.
Some of football’s biggest stars – including Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard – are Norwegian, bolstering the nation’s ranks under coach Ståle Solbakken. If Norway make it through the group stages, going up against France and Senegal, it’ll be one of the tournament’s all-time-great underdog stories.
The Root of the Game
While not strictly related to the World Cup, this docuseries explores Brazilian grassroots soccer, which has helped to pave the way for players, several of whom are included in the documentary, including legends like Cafu and contemporary stars like Raphina, to have iconic careers in the sport.
Looking to the Future
Netflix is getting its foot in the door of World Cup coverage ahead of their broadcast of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the streamer having acquired the U.S. rights for both the 2027 tournament in Brazil and the 2031 tournament, set to be hosted in Mexico and the United States, with Jamaica and Costa Rica also hosting games.
With FIFA yet to sell the U.S. broadcast rights for the 2030 men’s tournament, Netflix is firmly in the running, and their multimedia approach to becoming the one-stop shop for this tournament is only going to help their bid.
