Netflix is teaming up with FIFA and Delphi Interactive for a brand-new football game launching in 2026, included in every Netflix subscription at no extra cost. The title is planned to land just in time for the 2026 World Cup and is built as a mobile‑first, easy‑to-pick‑up experience, also available on select smart TVs where your phone doubles as the controller.
FIFA comes back via Netflix Games
After its split from EA Sports, FIFA’s first big step back into gaming is a fresh football title built exclusively for Netflix Games. Instead of a boxed console release, the game will live inside the Netflix app and be playable at no extra charge by anyone with an active subscription.
That also makes this the first FIFA game not published by EA, marking a clean break from nearly three decades of annual EA-branded releases. FIFA is pitching the project as the start of a “new era of digital football”, one that leans on streaming reach rather than traditional retail.
Platforms and how you’ll play
The new FIFA is designed first and foremost for mobile, launching on iOS and Android as part of Netflix’s growing games catalogue. You’ll access it from the same Netflix app you use for shows, tap into the Games section, and jump straight into matches as long as you’re logged in.
Netflix is also bringing the game to a selection of smart TVs, mirroring how some of its existing titles already work on the big screen. On TV, your phone becomes the default controller, lowering the barrier for people who don’t own a console or dedicated gamepad but still want to play from the couch.
Delphi Interactive, the studio behind it
Development and publishing duties sit with Delphi Interactive, a Beverly Hills–based studio collaborating closely with FIFA and Netflix on this first post‑EA entry. The team may not have shipped its own major title yet, but it has been involved with IO Interactive’s James Bond project 007 First Light as an associate developer, giving it experience on big licenses.
Founder and CEO Casper Daugaard describes the goal as building the most fun, accessible, and globally minded football game ever to carry the FIFA name. The game is positioned as “fast to learn, thrilling to master”, with mechanics tuned so that anyone can jump in quickly, then dig deeper if they want a more competitive feel.
Release window and World Cup timing
The launch is targeted for summer 2026, lined up with the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The idea is clear: as the tournament kicks off in June, fans will have a companion game ready to go on their phones and TVs, riding the same wave of global hype.
FIFA officials call the collaboration a historic step for the organisation’s gaming strategy, aiming to reach billions of fans during and beyond the World Cup. For Netflix, it’s another proof‑of‑concept that its games initiative can plug directly into major cultural events instead of living on the sidelines.
What this means for players
For players, the biggest shift is access: there’s no separate purchase, no premium edition, just a game that unlocks automatically with your existing Netflix plan. That makes it far easier for casual fans or new markets to try a FIFA title without investing in a console, a gaming PC or a full‑price annual release.
The experience itself is pitched less as a hardcore simulation and more as an approachable football game that still captures the drama of a tournament. Until proper gameplay is shown, it is not clear whether it will lean fully arcade, fully sim, or land somewhere in between, but the messaging points strongly toward something built for quick sessions, quick matches and a broad audience.
