Newsrooms asked to pay to distribute their own video news reports from FIFA-controlled press events

News organisations including sports journalists have yet to receive full details from FIFA about arrangements for newsgathering at FWC 2026.

The world cup – FIFA’s largest ever – presents news organisations with huge logistical challenges. It is now just 8 weeks away, taking place across three countries in 16 cities hosting 104 games involving 48 teams.

‘For major events, such as Olympics, rugby and football world cups, as well as for large-scale civic events such as national commemorations, news organisations need to be able to plan well in advance, in some cases often years before photographers, reporters and video journalists, and their back-office teams, hit the ground,’ said Andrew Moger, CEO of the News Media Coalition. ‘News organisations make considerable investment in talent, logistics and newsroom operations to arrange the best of coverage of major events for news consumers. But they need the earliest possible certainty about which newsgathering opportunities are being allowed and what controls are being placed on the news content.’

There is also unease that independent news operations are being asked by FIFA to pay for the ability to create and disseminate non-match video news and editorial coverage from certain news environments. Some newsrooms which want to provide video news coverage focused on specific teams they feel they are being priced out of committing their resources to the tournament.

With NMC members needing to finalise their own arrangements as early as possible, the NMC has maintained dialogue with FIFA over many months, stepping this up after last year’s FIFA Club World Cup which presented significant reporting challenges for journalists. FIFA has made efforts to improve certain press arrangements for FWC 2026 such as maintaining the numbers of news photographers at pitch-side, extending the press accreditation window and upgrading the FIFA Media Hub via which news organisations will be able to access FIFA’s official content to supplement news material created by their own journalists in stadia (such as press conferences, player interview opportunities and at training in the days before matches).

However, some news organisations are still waiting for important information which will affect their decisions on whether or not it makes sense to commit to considerable outlays to arrange coverage of the tournament.

Many news publishers say their coverage would benefit from additional passes, given that the tournament will necessarily require journalists to travel further and more often to cover pre- and in-match events than would ordinarily be the case.

Whilst new initiatives such as FIFA’s newly-conceived ’stations’’ which will allow news reporters to film some content in-stadium on mobile phones after the final whistle, are welcomed by the news media, practical considerations such as what restrictions or embargoes will be placed on content created there have yet to be clarified.

Moger concluded: ‘We call upon FIFA to provide the outstanding information, clarity and positive outcomes in terms of press freedom as soon as possible.’