“FIFA’s vision is to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive. The crossover between football and music underscores this wider cultural relevance. Both are universal languages and have the power to create unrivalled emotions. It’s a natural fit to bring them together,” said Jean-François Pathy, FIFA’s Director of Marketing. “It’s been fantastic to see the enthusiasm around the launch of this strategy, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to connect people through inspiring human stories.”

FIFA Sound is kicking off with the launch of an eight-episode podcast series. Hosted by Universal Music Group’s global chart-topping artist Liam Payne and co-hosted by sports broadcaster Jaydee Dyer, the FIFA PlayOn Podcast pairs star football players with award-winning musicians for unforgettable conversations. In each episode, celebrated footballers from around the world will discuss transformative moments from their careers – on and off the pitch – through the songs that have provided a soundtrack to their lives. The players will be joined by an award-winning musician who inspired them, as they explore the interplay between music and football in their lives.

Speaking about the announcement of the series, Liam Payne said, “I can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on with FIFA. The PlayOn Podcast has been such a journey – it’s been awesome having these incredible players and special guests come together and exchange life experiences from both on and off the pitch, all through the lens of music.”

PlayOn is the first of many new initiatives that FIFA will be launching in 2021 and beyond as part of its strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group for Brands – a division of Universal Music Group, the world leader in music-based entertainment.

Olivier Robert-Murphy, the Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group for Brands, said, “We’re delighted to be able to launch this collaboration between FIFA and Universal Music Group, which brings together two of the world’s biggest and most influential passion points – football and music – to create a series of unique fan experiences. Starting with the launch of the PlayOn Podcast series, these initiatives will showcase the symbiosis and shared bonds between the world’s best footballers and musicians alongside the fans that idolise them globally.”

PlayOn will debut today, 13 January 2021, and is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and other podcast players. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays. Playlists featuring the songs chosen by each player will be posted on Spotify for listeners to enjoy. Guest pairings for the opening episodes include:

Ivan Rakitić & Morat
Carli Lloyd & Rachel Platten
Asisat Oshoala & Tiwa Savage

Originally published on FIFA.