The FIFA-controlled streaming service, FIFA+, has officially shut down its standalone platform and migrated entirely to DAZN, the sports streaming giant, in a move that consolidates one of football's largest digital content libraries under a single roof. The transition, finalized in early June 2026, means anyone in Italy with a DAZN subscription—or even just a free Freemium account—now has access to thousands of additional matches and decades of World Cup archives at no extra cost.
Why This Matters
• Free FIFA content for existing subscribers: No price hike accompanies the deal; FIFA+ is bundled at no additional charge.
• 8,500 live matches per year from over 100 member federations, including youth tournaments and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
• Archive gold mine: Full replays of past Men's and Women's World Cups, plus curated highlights and rare historical footage.
• Interactive features: New "FanZone" chat rooms, live polls, and direct engagement tools launching alongside the integration.
The End of FIFA+ as a Standalone Platform
FIFA's in-house streaming experiment, which launched as an independent service to democratize global football coverage, is no longer. Instead, FIFA and DAZN have formalized an exclusive partnership that hands over technology, editorial operations, and commercialization responsibilities entirely to the Italy-present streaming platform. The deal builds on their collaboration around the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, now extended and deepened to create what both organizations are calling the "Global Home of Football."
For users in Italy, the practical implication is straightforward: the FIFA+ app and website are defunct, replaced by a dedicated FIFA+ section within DAZN's interface. Any existing FIFA+ accounts and preferences have been migrated automatically. DAZN subscribers—whether on paid plans or the no-cost Freemium tier—can now navigate to the FIFA+ hub and stream content that was previously siloed on a separate platform.
The timing matters. With the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar all scheduled for later in 2026, DAZN becomes the primary—and in many territories, the only—legal destination to watch these competitions live. In select markets, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup will also stream exclusively through the platform.
What DAZN Gains—and What It Costs You
The integration does not come with a subscription price increase. DAZN's current pricing structure in Italy remains unchanged:
Paid Subscription Plans:
• DAZN Full – €36.99/month (annual commitment): Includes Serie A, Serie B, LaLiga, Europa League, Eurosport channels, and the entire FIFA+ catalog
• DAZN Family – €61.99/month (annual commitment): Allows streaming on two devices across different networks; includes all FIFA+ content
• Monthly flexible plans – €14.99 to €29.99/month: No annual commitment required
• Annual contracts with monthly billing – €9.99 to €36.99/month: Lower per-month rates with yearly commitment
Free Tier:DAZN Freemium – No cost: Provides access to select live FIFA+ events and on-demand archival material, including international youth tournaments, lower-tier domestic leagues, and World Cup replays. This represents a significant expansion of DAZN's free tier, positioning it as a viable alternative for casual viewers unwilling to subscribe.
DAZN's Italian user base has fluctuated around 2.1 to 2.3 million monthly active users in 2025, according to various measurement firms. Globally, the platform is closing in on 20 million paying subscribers and has set an ambitious target of reaching one billion users—a figure that includes both paid and free accounts. The FIFA+ integration is a cornerstone of that growth strategy, designed to attract football purists, archival enthusiasts, and fans of under-covered leagues who might not otherwise subscribe for top-tier European competitions.
A Library That Spans Continents and Decades
The content volume is substantial. Approximately 8,500 live matches per year will stream through the FIFA+ section, sourced from member federations across six continents. This includes domestic leagues and cups from smaller footballing nations that rarely receive international broadcast deals—think Oceania qualifiers, African second divisions, and Central American youth championships. For fans and scouts in Italy, it's a chance to watch players and teams that would otherwise remain invisible.
Equally important is the archival component. DAZN now hosts full match replays from past editions of the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup, along with thematic compilations, goal montages, and behind-the-scenes documentaries. For anyone who wants to rewatch Italia '90, France '98, or Germany 2006 in their entirety, the catalog is now indexed and searchable within DAZN's interface. The platform has also promised "historical footage and unseen perspectives," which suggests previously unreleased material from FIFA's vaults.
The editorial strategy leans heavily on nostalgia and discovery. Curated playlists highlight iconic goals, underdog runs, and tactical evolutions across World Cup history. The aim is to convert casual streamers into engaged community members who spend time browsing, rather than simply tuning in for live matches.
Interactive Features and the "FanZone" Experiment
Beyond passive viewing, DAZN is rolling out interactive tools designed to mirror social media engagement but keep users inside the platform. The FanZone is a community hub where viewers can participate in live chats during matches, vote in real-time polls, and compete in football trivia quizzes. Some events will feature live Q&A sessions with players and coaches, though the logistics and frequency of these remain unclear.
For younger audiences accustomed to watching highlights on TikTok or debating tactics in WhatsApp groups, these features represent an attempt to make streaming less isolating. Whether they gain traction in Italy, where football culture is deeply social and often experienced in cafés or among family, remains to be seen.
What This Means for Residents
If you already subscribe to DAZN for Serie A or Champions League coverage, you now have access to thousands of additional matches and archival content at no extra cost. The FIFA+ section appears as a new tab within the DAZN app and website, requiring no separate login or payment.
For those without a subscription, the Freemium tier offers a no-cost entry point to a selection of FIFA+ content, including some live matches and on-demand archives. This is particularly relevant for students, expats, or casual fans who want access to international football without committing to a monthly fee.
The deal also has implications for educators, coaches, and scouts in Italy. The archival content and access to obscure international matches provide a research tool for tactical analysis, player identification, and historical study that was previously fragmented across multiple platforms or unavailable entirely.
Competitive Silence and Strategic Implications
Despite the significance of the deal, competitors such as Amazon Prime Video, Sky Italia, and smaller streaming services have not issued public responses. DAZN already operates as an add-on channel within Amazon Prime and Sky's ecosystem in Italy, so the FIFA+ integration does not disrupt existing distribution agreements. However, the move does consolidate DAZN's position as the most comprehensive football streaming platform in the Italian market, potentially pressuring rivals to secure similar partnerships or risk losing football-obsessed subscribers.
Mattias Grafström, FIFA Secretary General, described the integration as "a fundamental milestone in our journey to make football increasingly global and accessible." Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, emphasized the shared ambition to "expand the reach and cultural impact of football globally," leveraging DAZN's international presence and marketing infrastructure to bring FIFA content to "hundreds of millions of sports fans worldwide."
The rhetoric is ambitious, but the proof will come in subscriber growth, engagement metrics, and whether DAZN can convert the FIFA+ audience—previously accustomed to free access—into paying customers willing to upgrade for premium features or concurrent viewing on multiple devices. For now, Italy-based football fans have more content at their fingertips than ever before, all accessible through a single login.
