Streaming platform Netflix announced on Tuesday that it will broadcast all matches of the 2030 FIFA World Cup to viewers in Spain and Andorra. According to Netflix' statement, the company will provide access to all 104 matches of the largest football tournament live.
Spain, the reigning champion, will jointly host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. Additionally, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will also hold matches as part of the tournament's centenary celebration.
As part of the agreement, Netflix reported that one match per game day will be available for free viewing in Spain. Furthermore, the streaming platform confirmed that all Spanish matches, including the final, will be shown on the national public television channel.
This agreement strengthens Netflix' strategy to compete with traditional broadcasters in the live sports event sector. It is also the first time a subscription platform will be able to show the men's World Cup.
Netflix already holds the rights to broadcast the women's World Cups of 2027 and 2031 in the United States and Canada.
Meanwhile, in other news, the Netherlands denied visas to three Russian gymnasts, including reigning champion Angelina Melnikova. This made it impossible for them to participate in the World Championship next week in Rotterdam, Moscow reported on Tuesday.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation condemned this decision, calling it 'discrimination' and a violation of equal competition principles. The federation accused Dutch authorities of a deliberate attempt to exclude 'the strongest gymnasts' from the competitions.
The federation stated that the Dutch embassy in Moscow notified the visa center about the refusal to issue visas to three representatives of the Russian women's team—Angelina Melnikova, Victoria Listunova, and Anna Kalmykova. As a result, the gymnasts were deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championship scheduled for Rotterdam from October 17 to 25.
Russia announced its intention to appeal this decision to the governing body of gymnastics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Earlier, in August, Melnikova, who won the all-around gold at the 2025 World Championships in Jakarta, initially received a visa refusal to participate in the European Championships in Croatia. However, after an appeal, the decision was overturned, and she continued her journey by winning the all-around gold medal.
The latest visa refusal comes amid Russia's efforts to return to the sporting world after years of restrictions following the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and the revelation of state doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a southern Russian city. The IOC eased restrictions for Russian athletes in July, allowing them to participate in qualifying competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.