The way football is watched, shared, and felt has changed. A generation of fans no longer follows the game through traditional broadcasters or the back pages — they follow it through the people who live it, film it, and tell it in their own voice.
Content creators have become one of the most powerful forces in how football reaches its audiences, particularly younger ones. The WFS Awards are recognising that.
This year, the programme introduces a new category: The WFS Award for Best Content Creator, presented by TikTok. It recognises the creator who has built meaningful engagement and expanded football’s reach through original storytelling that honours the essence of the game while contributing to the growth and understanding of the industry.
As the platform where football culture now lives and scales globally, TikTok has redefined how fans interact with the sport through short-form video and community-driven trends. Following its appointment as FIFA’s Preferred Platform for the 2026 World Cup, TikTok has chosen the WFS Awards to give football’s content creators the industry recognition they deserve.
Jan Alessie, Co-Founder and Managing Director at World Football Summit:
“The WFS Awards have always evolved with the industry. Introducing a category for content creators is a recognition of the role they play today in how football is experienced and understood. Doing it with TikTok as our partner gives that recognition exactly the weight it deserves.”
With this addition, the WFS Awards 2026 programme now comprises twelve categories:
- A Career Honouring the Essence of the Game — Senn Ferrero
- Best Content Creator — TikTok (new)
- Best Digital Transformation Initiative — N3xt Sports
- Best Executive — Excel Search & Advisory
- Best Fan-Centric Initiative — Goodform by YouFirst
- Best Gender Equality Initiative — Women in Football
- Best Growth Strategy — Deloitte
- Most Innovative Supplier — SportsTechX
- Best Stadium Experience — Stadium DB
- Eli Wolff Football Without Limits — Integrated Dreams
- Football for Good — Common Goal
- Woman in Leadership — Women in Soccer
Applications for the WFS Awards are now open. The deadline is 30 June 2026. Finalists will be announced in August, with the Awards ceremony taking place on 15 September at WFS Madrid 2026.
