Telemundo Deportes, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, has announced that the network will partner with Spanish futbol star David Villa and his newly-launched production company, Designated Player, to produce a wide range of soccer content around the World Cup to air across all Telemundo network and digital platforms.

“I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with Telemundo Deportes and bring my perspective to this year’s World Cup,” said Villa. “Soccer’s popularity continues to grow with the American sports fan, and with Designated Player, we will provide various forms of content utilizing my global network as a player, teammate, and champion.”

Villa, the all-time scoring leader in Spain’s history, recently launched Designated Player in order to deliver a broad range of soccer content to the American market. Villa brings unmatched credibility and experience to the venture, having captured as a player the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008 (with Spain), the 2011 UEFA Champions League title (with FC Barcelona), and several LaLiga Championships. Villa currently plays for NYCFC of Major League Soccer in the U.S., where he captured the 2016 Most Valuable Player award and led the league in scoring last season.

“We’re excited to partner with David – one of the most decorated players in the world – as part of our commitment to producing authentic content for our viewers,” said Ray Warren, President of Telemundo Deportes. “We’re committed to providing fans with the best and most authentic content around the World Cup, and those efforts are only enhanced by partnering with such an accomplished player like Villa.”

As part of the partnership with Telemundo, Villa will narrate a video series entitled Como Llegaron (How Did They Get There), which will detail the ups and down that 10 national teams (the eight Latin American countries participating in the tournament, as well as Spain and Portugal) endured in order to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.

Villa will also conduct a series of in-depth interviews with international soccer stars who will be participating in the World Cup this summer, including former Barcelona captain and Spain national team star Andres Iniesta; French forward Antoine Griezmann, who also stars for Atletico Madrid; and Thibaut Courtois, goalkeeper for Belgium and Chelsea FC of England’s Premier League. Additional athletes will be announced in the coming weeks.

The content will live across all Telemundo Deportes platforms, including social media.

Telemundo Deportes, one of the leading providers of Spanish-language sports content in the United States, is home to two of the world’s most popular sporting events: the FIFA World Cup through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. It is also the home of the FIFA Club World Cup until at least 2018. In addition, Telemundo Deportes broadcasts the FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifying matches for most of the region, including the Mexico and USA national teams’ away matches, and the Premier League. Telemundo Deportes is also home to Boxeo Telemundo Ford, the #1 boxing program in Spanish, and Titulares y Más, the #1 sports news, entertainment and commentary show in Spanish, among other recognized sports properties.