2026 FIFA World Cup: A Historic Event Across North America

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in football history and a landmark moment for the sport in North America. For us it's obviously a momentous occasion for our region and for the three countries. I think it will be a watershed moment for the sport. Never before has the competition spanned three members of the same confederation and CONCACAF organisers will have their work cut out putting on an unprecedented 104 matches featuring a record 48 teams. It will be a game changer. It will be an event, a global event that the world has never seen of a magnitude that will be massive. More than six million people will watch the games live in the stadiums. Six billion people will watch them from home. And as we know, whatever happens here has an impact all over the world. Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice before. Pele's crowning glory in 1970 and Diego Maradona's Tour de Force in 1986. While the USA heralded a new era stateside in 1994. Now you fast forward 32 years and you see how soccer has evolved in the United States. You see MLS, how MLS has grown. We have the best player in the history of soccer playing in our league. You see the infrastructure with the stadiums, the training grounds that have been built. And now you get to revisit the World Cup 32 years later and you can see how the fans evolved as well. From Mexico City, inside the Tropic of Cancer, to Vancouver, gateway to the Great White North. The 2026 World Cup offers more breadth and depth than any previous tournament. I'm sure that every fan who will attend games in Canada, be it in Vancouver or in Toronto, they will have a lot of fun, a lot of joy. I'm very proud and happy that Canada is part of this incredible World Cup. Football is booming in North America. Helped by the growth of Major League Soccer in the US and the arrival of international stars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi. I've seen how much the game has grown in the last 10 years and it's incredible for it to have happened so fast and change in so many different ways. People are really getting behind the game now throughout the US and it's great to see, it's great to have been a part of. I'm excited about 2026. With futuristic stadia already in place, 2026 is poised to break the record for the highest attended World Cup in history. An honour currently held by USA94. As we've said, the capacity of the stadiums, the number of fans who are going to be able to experience this World Cup will probably double in the stadiums than what we've had for previous World Cups. I think World Cup 94 holds the current record for attendance and that's going to be blown out of the water given the capacities that we have in these stadiums. Ever since Lionel Messi raised the World Cup trophy above his head in Qatar's Lusail Stadium, the clock has been ticking on World Cup 2026. The responsibility for showcasing the beautiful game passing from Asia to North America. The most important thing to remember is the World Cup transcends sport and it plays an exceptional role in uniting people and countries, creating and lasting friendships. This is the most important legacy that we want to leave today and what we want the United States, Mexico and Canada to carry on in 2026 when they host the next FIFA World Cup. We could not be more excited to host four years from now in partnership with Canada and Mexico the next World Cup. We are already hard at work preparing for United 2026 and we're looking forward to welcoming fans from around the world. It will be a World Cup to remember. So we accept these World Cup challenges with humility and we look forward to bringing the world together in 2026 back on the field, ready to compete for our teams and for our countries and for a better world. The blue touch paper has been lit. Get ready for the fireworks to begin. World Cup 2026 is coming to Canada, the United States and to Mexico. Take care. See you soon in Vancouver and all around North America.