Apple is making a new move that will steal the hearts of sports fans. Apple Sports, the free sports application that was first made available in a limited number of countries, now reaches many more users with the massive global expansion wave. The company is opening the application to more than 90 new countries and regions before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the giant football organization that will start in June.

With this latest update, the total global footprint of the Apple Sports app reaches more than 170 markets. Offering sports fans live scores, instant statistics and in-depth analysis of the squads, the application aims to take the user experience to a whole new level.

Here are the highlights of Apple Sports’ massive expansion:

• Global Expansion:Apple Sports can be downloaded for free in more than 170 countries around the world, with the addition of more than 90 new markets.

• World Cup Integration:The tournament fixture table (bracket view), specially developed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June, and tactical graphics showing the first 11 lineups of the squads are added to the application.

• Live Events and Widget Boost:By following their favorite squads, users can use the Live Activities feature on their iPhone lock screens, Apple Watches, and follow the scores instantly via home screen widgets.

Great Preparations Before the 2026 World Cup

Apple is making this expansion move with strategic timing. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will start next June, is the biggest stage where the new features of the application will be exhibited.

Oliver Schusser, the company’s vice president of Music, Sports, Apple TV and Beats, states that the World Cup brings together fans from all over the world and is the ideal moment to expand Apple Sports on a global scale. With its structure focused on speed and simplicity, the application allows football fans to instantly experience the excitement of the tournament.

The new update also brings with it two major visual tools specific to the World Cup. The first is the scrollable tournament chart view, which presents all matches and results from the division stages to the final in a clean interface.

The second one stands out as the visual formations on the match cards. Users can graphically examine the starting 11 formations and tactical schemes in which the squads will appear on the field just before the match starts.

Seamless Integration with the Ecosystem

Apple Sports is more than just an independent score tracking platform, it works in full harmony with the Apple ecosystem. When users follow a squad or the entire tournament, they activate the Live Events feature on their devices that support iOS 18 and watchOS 11 or newer. In this way, critical moments and score changes in the match can be followed by just looking at the lock screen or Apple Watch, without having to unlock the phone.

In addition, the home screen widget support introduced for iOS, iPadOS and macOS platforms makes it possible to monitor the tournament progress in real time from the desktop or tablet.

When it’s time to watch a match live, users can switch to the Apple TV application with a single tap. Apple TV automatically detects on which channel or service the match is broadcast live via digital broadcast platforms connected to the ecosystem and directs the user directly to the broadcast.

Another valuable advantage offered by the application is Apple News integration. Users can access the most current news headlines, analysis and editorial content about the teams or tournament they follow with a single touch.

Apple Sports, which has a large library that includes major football leagues such as Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1, as well as major sports organizations such as NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA, NFL, brings the world of sports under one roof.

With its ad-free, simple design and expanding coverage area, the platform makes tracking sports via smart devices very fluid. The application, which can be downloaded completely free of charge from the App Store, continues to bring the global sports community closer together in the digital world.