The governing body is looking to give fans something to watch while matches are postponed
Fifa has revealed it will release part of its video archive of matches from the World Cup and Women’s World Cup on its site, YouTube, and Weibo over the next six weeks.
Matches will first be put on the governing body’s website, FIFA.com and its YouTube channel, followed by the Chinese social media platform Weibo on 21 March.
Which matches are broadcast will be decided by online votes, with the first vote having already started. Fans have been asked to choose which game they would like to see from the 2014 World Cup, choosing from the Netherlands’ 5-1 thrashing of Spain in the group stages, Brazil’s physical 2-1 victory over Colombia which saw Neymar seriously injured in the quarter finals, or Germany’s extra time win in the final over Argentina.
The next vote will be from the 2019 Women’s World Cup, to pick between the USA’s 2-1 win over France in the quarter-finals, or their victory by the same scoreline against England in the semi-finals – the match which saw Alex Morgan’s infamous tea celebration.
There will be full social media interaction across multiple platforms during each broadcast, with documentaries and interviews with famous players also added in to enhance the experience.
Fifa has taken this action while football matches are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Across much of the world people are being told to isolate at home, and this has caused several rights holders to look at making content free or more available during this time.