How the 2026 FIFA World Cup Forever Changed Soccer
The world of soccer has changed. There is no doubt that the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought about a new era for soccer and its fans around the globe. Beyond the expanded format and international co-hosts, this edition also changed how we perceive and experience soccer. With many new rising countries defying powerhouses, game tickets skyrocketing, and players traveling across countries between games, it is clear that the landscape of the sport is no longer the same. Soccer has always been a highly profitable spectacle that has inspired millions of people on all five continents. However, the 2026 FIFA World Cup took this to another level, changing the sport forever.
More Teams, More Games, More Viewers
48 teams took part in this year’s FIFA World Cup, which is the highest number of teams the event has ever had. There is a huge advantage to the expanded format; more people get to see their national team play on the world stage. Unsurprisingly, this also meant the introduction of the Round of 32, which added more games to the agenda. Consequently, this meant a longer tournament. The 2022 FIFA World Cup lasted 29 days and featured 64 matches, whereas the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to last 39 days and feature 104 matches. More games mean more tickets, more broadcasting deals, more viewers, and more commercial partnerships, all of which increase FIFA's revenue.
Three Co-Hosting Countries
Japan and Korea co-hosted the FIFA World Cup back in 2002, making this the second-ever international World Cup. Now, the distance between Toronto and Ciudad de México is more than three times the distance between Tokyo and Seoul. Players were constantly flying to and fro, moving between vastly different weather and geographical conditions, including altitude. More importantly, the involvement of these three venues boosted international travel to these countries and made soccer an unprecedented international spectacle. The World Cup’s geographical proportions and local involvement increased, transforming the event into a continental festival of massive proportions.
United States Joins the Hype
It is no secret that, up until now, men’s soccer has not been very popular in America. Men’s soccer is mostly concentrated in Europe and Latin America, where it holds immense cultural value. This edition of the World Cup saw the U.S. advance all the way to the Round of 16 on home soil in front of a home crowd. The success achieved by the USMNT, as well as the physical location of the World Cup being in the U.S., transformed it into a soccer nation, with excited fans and chants. With the U.S. joining the hype, a whole new market opens up for soccer. More fans, more leagues in a country that is known for its success in sports. It feels almost like an unexplored frontier that is just being discovered by soccer.
Final Thoughts
FIFA expects this World Cup to be the most profitable of all time. However, there are also downsides to the scope of this particular event. Teams are flying constantly, players need to play in more games, and tickets become more expensive and inaccessible. An event of these massive proportions becomes a luxury that a fraction of fans can actually afford. It is indeed a festival to celebrate the most popular sport in the world, and also a huge fundraising campaign for FIFA. It is always good to remember that FIFA is not an apolitical entity, and its decisions do have an impact. In 2030, we will also be witnessing a World Cup taking place in multiple countries and continents, of maybe even bigger proportions than this one. Let us not forget that soccer should be about the game and the joy it brings to people.
