World Cup Fever Hits Meta! WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook Get New Football Features

Meta has announced a broad range of football-themed features across its family of apps ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which just kicked off in North America. The updates are designed to help fans follow matches, engage in real-time conversations, access exclusive content, and connect with fellow supporters across Threads, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

The company is also partnering with broadcasters, national teams, athletes, creators, and commentators to bring behind-the-scenes content, match analysis, celebrations, and fan reactions to its platforms throughout the tournament.

Threads Gets Live Chats, Scores, and Dedicated Football Community

Meta is positioning Threads as a hub for real-time football discussions during the tournament.

Key Threads Features

• Live Chats: Football legends and commentators, including Sergio Agüero and Ian Wright, will host interactive Live Chats before, during, and after matches.
• Football Community: A dedicated space for match discussions, player content, and post-game analysis.
• Live Scores: Real-time match scores with national team branding integrated into posts and Live Chats.
• Team Flair: Fans can display their country's flag next to their profile name and picture.
• Football Stickers and Custom Emojis: Special football-themed reactions and stickers for tournament conversations.
• Media Highlights: Curated content from official broadcasters and partners.
• Game Reminders: Notifications for kickoffs, major matches, and trending football conversations.

Instagram Becomes a Destination for Tournament Content

Instagram is receiving new tools aimed at helping users discover and engage with football-related content.

What's New on Instagram?

Enhanced Search Experience: Searching for tournament-related terms or tapping designated football content will open a dedicated destination featuring:

• Top Reels
• Stories
• Featured broadcasters
• National team accounts
• Fan-generated content

AI-Powered Voice Effects: A new "Goal!" voice effect in Instagram DMs triggers special football-themed animations when sent.

Facebook Introduces Football Mode and AI Jersey Try-On

Facebook is adding several football-themed experiences to boost fan engagement.

Football Mode

Users can activate Football Mode by double-tapping the Facebook logo at the top of their Feed. The feature unlocks:

• Themed reactions
• Football-themed surprises
• An in-app football game
• A custom football-inspired app icon

AI-Powered Wear It Feature

Facebook's AI-powered "Wear It" feature allows users to virtually try on national team jerseys and share the images through:

• Stories
• Posts
• Profile pictures

Additional football-themed stickers and creative tools are also being added to the platform.

Messenger Brings Live Match Updates to Group Chats

Messenger users will be able to follow matches directly within group conversations.

New Messenger Features

• Live Updates: Real-time notifications for goals, red cards, and key moments within selected group chats.
• Football Chat Themes: A limited-edition football pitch-themed background.
• Exclusive Stickers: Animated football stickers for reacting to match moments.

WhatsApp Gets Football-Themed Calling Effects and Dedicated Hub

WhatsApp is also receiving several tournament-focused upgrades.

New WhatsApp Features

Trionda Match Ball Emoji: In partnership with Adidas, the football emoji has been temporarily replaced with the official Trionda match ball.
Calling Effects: Football-themed filters and backgrounds for video calls.
Football Sticker Packs: Dedicated sticker collections for goals, missed penalties, and controversial moments.

Football Directory: A central hub featuring Teams, Scores, Match countdowns, Highlights, Behind-the-scenes content, Channel updates

Status Integration: Channels can now share updates directly to WhatsApp Status, allowing users to keep up with tournament coverage without leaving the app.

Enhanced Safety Measures for Fans and Athletes

Meta says it is also strengthening safety tools during the tournament to help protect users from scams and abuse.

The company is introducing:

• In-app reminders for ticket-related searches
• Improved anti-scam protections
• Enhanced anti-abuse systems
• Updated safety tools across its platforms

These measures aim to create a safer environment for both football fans and athletes as conversations around the tournament intensify across Meta's apps.