Apple Sports Expands Globally With FIFA World Cup 2026 Tracking Features
Apple is giving football fans a more organised way to survive the chaos of FIFA World Cup 2026 season. The company has announced that its Apple Sports app, first launched in 2024, is now available in more than 170 countries and regions after expanding into over 90 additional markets.
For iPhone users in Malaysia and across SEA, this is the kind of update that matters if you hate digging through random score apps, social media posts, and group chat spam just to know who is playing next. World Cup season always gets messy here — mamak watch parties, office prediction leagues, late-night matches, and that one friend sending score updates before your stream catches up. A cleaner live sports hub could actually be useful.
The big focus is the FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicks off on June 11. Apple is adding tools that let fans follow the full tournament or pick specific national teams. Once you follow a team inside Apple Sports, the app can surface Live Activities on the iPhone Lock Screen or Apple Watch, so you can keep an eye on match updates without constantly opening another app.
Apple is also supporting widgets across iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Home Screens. That means fans can track the tournament in real time from the devices they already use daily. For Malaysian users juggling work, class, Discord, WhatsApp and match nights, having scores and tournament progress sitting on the Home Screen is a pretty practical quality-of-life upgrade.
One of the more useful additions is a tournament bracket view. Instead of hunting around for which team goes where after the group stage, Apple Sports will show a scrollable layout covering matchups and results round by round. It should make it easier to follow how a team moves from the group stage towards its final match.
Apple is also adding visual formations inside enhanced game cards. That gives fans a quick look at each team’s starting setup before kick-off. For casual fans, it is a simple way to understand how a side is lining up. For the more tactical football nerds, it gives you something to argue about before the match even starts — very on brand for World Cup season, honestly.
There is also a one-tap Apple News shortcut for editorial coverage and headlines, plus a quick switch to Apple TV. During the World Cup, Apple Sports users will be able to tap into Apple TV to find live matches available through connected streaming services. The key wording here is connected streaming services, so availability will still depend on what platforms and rights are active in your market.
The Apple Sports app is free and works on iPhone models running iOS 17.2 or later. If you are planning to follow World Cup 2026 closely, it is worth checking whether the app is now available on your local App Store.
For SEA fans, this will not replace the actual match broadcast or the energy of watching with friends. But as a live score, bracket, team-following and quick-glance companion, Apple Sports is shaping up to be a handy second screen for the biggest football month on the calendar.
Source: GSMArena
