Creators are taking the pitch.Credit: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t just happening on official grass anymore
On Sunday, July 12, FIFA and YouTube will host the inaugural YouTube FIFA Creator Cup, a creator-led exhibition match that brings some of the platform’s biggest personalities together with soccer legends for a livestream from New York City’s Central Park
Leading the event is YouTube megastar iShowSpeed, whose World Cup livestreams have made him one of the tournament’s defining internet personalities. And with over 57 million YouTube subscribers, he’s also one of the platform’s most recognizable faces. He’ll be joined by creators including Celine Dept, TBJZL of the Sidemen, Jasontheween, Zhong, Zias, Coringa, AboFlah, Brittany Wilson, Mercedes Roa, and more, alongside FIFA legends and coached by Cafu and Marco Materazzi
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“The World Cup is the biggest stage in the world and we’re bringing that same energy to Central Park,” Speed said in a statement. “Football brings everybody together, and that’s what I love about it. To do this with YouTube and FIFA, live in New York City, with fans watching from all over the world, it’s going to be special.”
The match will take place at Wollman Rink and stream live globally on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, with a simulcast on Speed’s own YouTube channel beginning at 5 p.m. ET
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The Creator Cup marks the latest sign that FIFA is treating YouTube creators as more than influencers covering the tournament. Increasingly, they’ve become part of the programming itself. Throughout the World Cup, creators have livestreamed matches from the stands, interviewed players, and generated massive attention around the competition. According to YouTube, videos from its FIFA creator roster have already surpassed 1 billion views during the tournament
For FIFA, the exhibition is another way to reach younger audiences who are more likely to experience major sporting events through creators rather than traditional broadcasters. And for Speed, whose streams have drawn massive crowds at stadiums throughout the tournament, it further cements his status as one of the World Cup’s biggest personalities, even if he isn’t playing for a national team
That role has extended beyond livestreaming. Speed’s song “Champions” was included on the official 2026 FIFA World Cup soundtrack after initially being released as an unofficial anthem, making the Creator Cup the latest step in his transformation from superfan to World Cup fixture
Legendary referee Pierluigi Collina will oversee the match, while Sam Mewis and Kristie Mewis of The Women’s Game and Zach Misischia and Brian Conforth of The Makeshift Project will report from the sidelines. Veteran broadcaster Max Bretos will handle play-by-play commentary
This year’s World Cup has made one thing clear: creators are no longer just spectators. They’re lacing up, kitting out, and hitting the pitch
TopicsYouTubeCreatorsFIFA World Cup
Digital Culture Editor
Crystal Bell is the Digital Culture Editor at Mashable, where she leads coverage of the creator economy, internet culture, and digital life. Her work focuses on the people, platforms, and communities shaping modern entertainment, from YouTube creators and livestreamers to fandoms, social media trends, and the evolving relationship between technology and culture. She also oversees the Mashable 101, the publication’s annual list recognizing the internet’s most influential creators
Previously, she was the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped expand the brand’s coverage of fan culture, K-pop, and the internet’s most passionate communities. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet
She’s exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie
