What You Need to Know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is the premier senior men’s international football tournament. It has been held every four years since 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.
Brazil, Italy, and France have largely dominated the tournament, with the latter country winning the most recent competition in 2018. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21 to December 18, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
First World Cup Hosted by Three Nations
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the 23rd edition of the quadrennial tournament and will mark the first time in its history that it has been hosted by three countries. FIFA selected the North American joint bid at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow in June 2018. In an effort to be more open and transparent following allegations of bribery related to Russia and Qatar winning the 2018 and 2022 hosting rights, respectively, FIFA removed voting rights from its 22-strong executive committee and put the decision solely into the hands of member nations.
A total of 16 cities will host matches in the three countries during the tournament. Ten cities in the US, including Kansas City, Atlanta, Nashville, and Los Angeles, will host a combined 60 games. Canada and Mexico, meanwhile, will host 10 games each. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New York, which is the home stadium of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants. It has a capacity of 84,953.
“Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport,” said US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro. “We are humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid, strengthened by the unity between our three countries and the CONCACAF region, and excited by the opportunity we have to put football on a new and sustainable path for generations to come.”
Mexico’s Third Time Hosting
While neither Canada, the United States, or Mexico has ever won the FIFA World Cup, the latter will play the role of host for a record third time. Mexico previously hosted the tournament in 1986 and 1970. The United States, meanwhile, hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Canada has never hosted the men’s tournament, but it previously hosted the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Mexico and the United States have each participated in all but one World Cup since 1990, whereas Canada has only qualified for the tournament once in its history. When the three countries were awarded hosting rights in 2018, FIFA President Gianni Infantino noted it wasn’t a guarantee that all three nations would qualify for the tournament.
Morocco’s Bid
The United 2026 bid was selected by 134 FIFA member nations. The other bid to host the tournament, submitted by Morocco, received only 65 votes. It was the fifth time Morocco has positioned itself to host the FIFA World Cup and the fifth time it has been denied. While FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura was cleared of wrongdoing after questions arose about a potential conflict of interest due to an undeclared family link with El Hadji Diouf, the bid ambassador for Morocco 2026, the FIFA World Cup bid evaluation task force found other issues with Morocco’s bid.
These concerns include an inefficient travel network and a lack of available accommodations for players and staff. Moreover, nine of the 14 stadiums listed in the Moroccan bid have yet to be constructed and the other five require significant upgrades.
Expansion to 48 Teams
In addition to being the first FIFA World Cup to be played in three countries, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will also be the first to feature 48 teams. The tournament has had 32 teams since the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The expanded field means a total of 84 matches will be played over 34 days. As a result, FIFA expects the tournament to generate $14 billion in revenue. As of April 9, 2020, Slovakia was the 32nd ranked team in the world. Countries ranked between 32 and 48 include Iceland, Northern Ireland, Australia, Norway, and Jamaica.
Potential Players to Watch
The FIFA World Cup is a showcase of the world’s best football players. Top players like Zinedine Zidane (France), Cafu (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), and Diego Maradona (Argentina) have all performed well in the international tournament.
While it’s difficult to project who might rise to the occasion in 2026, some of the best young football players in the world are set to be in the prime of their careers by 2026. In its 2019 ranking of the 20 best players under 21, Business Insider listed players like Alphonso Davies (Canada), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands), Phil Foden (England), and Kai Havertz (Germany).
