SANTO DOMINGO – The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is already underway, and anticipation is growing around an edition that will mark several milestones in international football, both for its new format and the magnitude of its organization.
The championship will be held jointly in the United States, Mexico and Canada, becoming the first World Cup organized simultaneously by three countries.
A bigger World Cup
The 2026 edition will also be the first to bring together 48 national teams, expanding the tournament's traditional format and increasing the number of matches, venues, and participating countries.
FIFA explains that with this expansion it seeks to give greater representation to different regions and open up space for national teams that have historically had fewer opportunities to qualify for the event.
Three countries and 16 host cities
According to the official publication, the tournament will have 16 host cities distributed between the United States, Mexico and Canada, including iconic venues such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver.
Mexico will also make history by becoming the first country to host matches from three different World Cups.
The tournament final is scheduled to be played in the United States, while the opening match will be held at the historic Azteca Stadium.
Beyond sport
In addition to the sporting interest, the 2026 World Cup has been projected as one of the international events with the greatest media, commercial and tourist impact in the coming years.
The excitement surrounding the tournament has also extended to the musical realm. FIFA officially presented the song “Dai Dai,” performed by Shakira and Burna Boy, as the official theme song of the 2026 World Cup, reinforcing the cultural and global reach of an edition that promises to be one of the most ambitious in football history.
The tournament will mobilize investments in infrastructure, transport, hotels and services, as well as generate broad global coverage around the host cities and participating teams.
According to Share America , anticipation is also growing among Latin American fans, who are closely watching their teams' performance in an edition that promises to become one of the most ambitious and followed in football history.
Sources consulted:
- FIFA
- Share America
- ESPN Deportes
- Olympics
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