FIFA's ExpressVPN World Cup sponsorship sparks fury from Spain's La Liga and French broadcasters
The article reports that FIFA’s decision to name ExpressVPN an official supporter of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has triggered strong opposition from Spain’s La Liga and major French broadcasters, who argue that the partnership undermines ongoing efforts to combat online sports piracy. Rights holders contend that VPN services are frequently used to bypass geographic restrictions and access unauthorized streams of live sporting events.
The controversy follows FIFA’s announcement that ExpressVPN will serve as an Official Tournament Supporter across the United States, Canada and Europe. As part of the sponsorship, the company’s branding appears on pitch-side LED advertising during matches, and ExpressVPN is running promotional campaigns, including ticket giveaways, to increase fan engagement. The agreement represents the largest sports sponsorship in ExpressVPN’s history.
La Liga President Javier Tebas and French broadcasters, including LFP Media and Canal+, have criticized the partnership in a formal letter to FIFA. They argue that ExpressVPN has consistently opposed court orders requiring VPN providers to block access to pirate streaming sites, particularly in France, where recent judicial rulings expanded anti-piracy obligations to VPN services. According to the rights holders, partnering with such a company sends a contradictory message while the football industry is investing heavily in piracy enforcement.
ExpressVPN rejects the criticism, maintaining that VPNs are legitimate privacy and cybersecurity tools used by millions of consumers to protect their online activity. The company argues that it has never been found liable for facilitating piracy and that requiring VPN providers to block websites would undermine user privacy, weaken internet security, and set a dangerous precedent for internet infrastructure.
The dispute reflects a broader international debate over the role of VPN providers in copyright enforcement. While sports leagues increasingly seek injunctions requiring intermediaries such as VPNs, DNS resolvers and ISPs to assist with blocking pirate services, VPN companies argue that they should not be held responsible for policing user activity and that technical blocking measures are ineffective and harmful to legitimate users.
The article concludes that FIFA’s sponsorship agreement has intensified the conflict between copyright enforcement and digital privacy. As sporting organizations continue to strengthen anti-piracy strategies, the ExpressVPN partnership has become a high-profile example of the competing interests between rights holders seeking stricter enforcement and technology companies advocating for internet privacy and neutrality.
