FIFA World Cup 2026 :Canada/Mexico/United States: Discussion Thread

[Popkon6]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

[Silberman]

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

If I am not mistaken Messi said that if he won the world cup at Qatar, a thing he did, he will do his best effort to play the world cup which is to be disputed at 2026, Ronaldo is the one that is going to have more problems to achieve this as it seems the decrease on his skills is faster and there may be a desire by the federation of his country to let younger players to play, a situation which will probably not happen to Messi as the Argentinian federation is very happy with the results Messi got at the most recent world cup.

[Strongkored]

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

There is no need to worry about the aging stars who will no longer be competing in the next World Cup, as their stardom will be replaced by new stars with all their strengths and weaknesses. Granted, both stars have records that will remain possible for a long time to come but football will not stop being the most exciting sport in the world just because they are retiring.
Mbappe will be one of the stars that will shine at the World Cup and given that there will be changes to the number of national team that will participate in the 2026 World Cup, we as football lovers will get more matches and hopefully more interesting matches than ever before, but it seems that the increase in the number of participants will not be able to make my country's national team participate there, there will still be too much to fix in order to qualify for the World Cup.

[gagux123]

I think so. The tendency is that each new World Cup results become more and more unpredictable, as national teams improve and seek for foreigner help from the top strategists and coaches of the world. Even Brazil which is a traditional favorite team is looking for an european coach to replace Tite, so they can have access to the best techniques the soccer industry has to offer right now.

The whole soccer industry is being guided and ruled by european soccer playstyle and techniques. That is the price countries of every corners of the world have to pay to stay competitive. But it has been working anyway.

Most of my friends also think like you
With each passing year, more countries tend to take football seriously, consequently in the next world cups, several unknown countries will stand out and surprise the whole world with their performance.
Let's see what the future will show us

[Renampun]

Some probably will, but in the end that is not responsibility of the FIFA, but rather of the United States government.
Since traveling to another country counts as tourism, USA immigration would be more careful when comes to granting Visas to those seeking to watch the matches, making sure they have no reason to move illegally and return to their home after the event.

They won't give visas to those who can't provide proof of job, income and family in their native motherland.

This is what really deserves special attention because, from the news I heard, the US is very close to immigrants who cross into the US because they only pollute the territory of the US. I'm still waiting for good news about this and hopefully the US government will make concessions during the 2026 world cup event later.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

these two mega stars definitely won't be playing to defend their country but both of them will definitely watch the world cup taking place, it's the same as many football legends do when they retire, they are just VIP spectators for their country that is playing.

[nullama]

~snip~
There is no need to worry about the aging stars who will no longer be competing in the next World Cup, as their stardom will be replaced by new stars with all their strengths and weaknesses. Granted, both stars have records that will remain possible for a long time to come but football will not stop being the most exciting sport in the world just because they are retiring.
Mbappe will be one of the stars that will shine at the World Cup and given that there will be changes to the number of national team that will participate in the 2026 World Cup, we as football lovers will get more matches and hopefully more interesting matches than ever before, but it seems that the increase in the number of participants will not be able to make my country's national team participate there, there will still be too much to fix in order to qualify for the World Cup.

I'm happy with the new players starting to appear, Qatar world cup was a nice farewell for lots of aging players, and you could see how younger players were thriving in there.

Can't wait to see them in the 2026 world cup. Also I think many records will be broken in there because now there will probably be a longer world cup, therefore more chances to score.

Not sure how that will affect the ratings, or the records because scoring X amounts of goals in previous world cups was harder given that there were fewer games...

We'll have to wait and see how it goes.

[Daniel91]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

It is a natural process and nothing to worry about. The old stars will be replaced by some new stars, as always.
I personally expect that the main stars at the next world championship will be young players like Fati, Rodrygo, Haaland, Martinelli and others, and who says that they won't worthy replace Messi and Ronaldo?
Of course, Mbappe is also there, and there are rumors that Messi could also play at the next World Cup.
Regardless of who ends up playing, we're in for another great World Cup in soccer.

[Masplanc]

If I am not mistaken Messi said that if he won the world cup at Qatar, a thing he did, he will do his best effort to play the world cup which is to be disputed at 2026, Ronaldo is the one that is going to have more problems to achieve this as it seems the decrease on his skills is faster and there may be a desire by the federation of his country to let younger players to play, a situation which will probably not happen to Messi as the Argentinian federation is very happy with the results Messi got at the most recent world cup.

By 2026 Ronaldo won't be very active in performance due to age. Age has always been an obstacle and their is nothing he can do about it. 2026 won't be the right time to become world cup champion. Winning world cup requires much energy, am not sure if Ronaldo will have much energy.

[Japinat]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

It is a natural process and nothing to worry about. The old stars will be replaced by some new stars, as always.
I personally expect that the main stars at the next world championship will be young players like Fati, Rodrygo, Haaland, Martinelli and others, and who says that they won't worthy replace Messi and Ronaldo?
Of course, Mbappe is also there, and there are rumors that Messi could also play at the next World Cup.
Regardless of who ends up playing, we're in for another great World Cup in soccer.

I agree, old stars like Messi and Ronaldo are still great, no doubt, but their time is already approaching and eventually, they will be replaced by a much younger stars like the ones you've mentioned that will be playing after their retirement. There's no need to fret about the situation because that's the reality in this world and they won't be playing in the upcoming years as they will become more and more older.

Regarding the next FIFA World Cup, Messi is the one who will likely play compared to Ronaldo because aside from the difference of their age, Messi won't let the situation slide because they are the defending champs and he have every right to play in that historical event. He will be 39 or 40 years old by that time, but I know he's still to play and give the team some help when they needed it.

[BobK71]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

I don't know what Cristiano Ronaldo will do. But the way Lionel Messi is wanted by his team, he can play another World Cup. But he can't hide himself if everyone wants him. And if he stays in the next World Cup, Argentina can have another successful World Cup. I don't think it will be too much of a problem if he is 39 in the next World Cup. But how will his performance be after 4 years that will be the great concern.

[uneng]

I agree, old stars like Messi and Ronaldo are still great, no doubt, but their time is already approaching and eventually, they will be replaced by a much younger stars like the ones you've mentioned that will be playing after their retirement. There's no need to fret about the situation because that's the reality in this world and they won't be playing in the upcoming years as they will become more and more older.

Regarding the next FIFA World Cup, Messi is the one who will likely play compared to Ronaldo because aside from the difference of their age, Messi won't let the situation slide because they are the defending champs and he have every right to play in that historical event. He will be 39 or 40 years old by that time, but I know he's still to play and give the team some help when they needed it.

Maybe both of them can still play the next World Cup as the last one of their careers. They can't play the whole 90 minutes of a match with all the energy and stamina they were used to, as we have already seen in Qatar, but the coach can use them smartly during some strategical moments of the games. It seems a much better idea to have Messi and Ronaldo on the bench, than some random players who are there just to fill the gaps. About Messi, specifically, I'm sure he will be able to at least raise the morale of the national team if he is there side by side with them.

[Synchronice]

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

If I am not mistaken Messi said that if he won the world cup at Qatar, a thing he did, he will do his best effort to play the world cup which is to be disputed at 2026, Ronaldo is the one that is going to have more problems to achieve this as it seems the decrease on his skills is faster and there may be a desire by the federation of his country to let younger players to play, a situation which will probably not happen to Messi as the Argentinian federation is very happy with the results Messi got at the most recent world cup.

Lionel Messi will definitely play in the next Fifa World Cup 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo wants to play in the next Fifa world cup but this year was a full of failure and negativity for him. His transfer in Al-Nassr happened in one month after his interview with Piers Morgan. Well, this year was terrible for him, probably one of the worst he could imagine but you know, Christiano Ronaldo is a very different person. I truly believe that this will motivate him to experience the worst pain, push himself further and prove again that he can still be one of the best. I believe that there is a chance that this may happen.

[Gosgosking]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

I don't know what Cristiano Ronaldo will do. But the way Lionel Messi is wanted by his team, he can play another World Cup. But he can't hide himself if everyone wants him. And if he stays in the next World Cup, Argentina can have another successful World Cup. I don't think it will be too much of a problem if he is 39 in the next World Cup. But how will his performance be after 4 years that will be the great concern.

For Messi  still have chance of playing for his team at age of 39. I think Argentina would want Messi to play in the next world cup because he is player  that Argentina believes in so much. In the next 4 years their wont be much difference in Messi's performance, some players still performs very well at 40.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

2026 World Cup Many big stars may not be able to participate in the World Cup due to age restrictions.  There are many other big stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo who will not be able to play in the World Cup in 2026.  In this case, although they want to, their age is the biggest obstacle.  Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are now young, will not be able to maintain this youth in 2026, their speed will slow down.  And getting the ball into the opposing team's net will not be possible later as it is now.  The two legends of the football world have very little chance of participating in the 2026 World Cup.

I don't know what Cristiano Ronaldo will do. But the way Lionel Messi is wanted by his team, he can play another World Cup. But he can't hide himself if everyone wants him. And if he stays in the next World Cup, Argentina can have another successful World Cup. I don't think it will be too much of a problem if he is 39 in the next World Cup. But how will his performance be after 4 years that will be the great concern.

If am asked, I would say that it would have made much sense for him (Messi) to just retire, he's done his country proud, done his team proud, done his family proud, done himself proud, what else is he still looking for in the pitch, he's won every winnable award, him coming to 2026 world cup and losing the cup would only add a dark spot to the already pure perfect history he's written/made for himself, and there would be no other chance again to correct this if it happens..
So for me, I think it would make more sense for him to just relax and start training younger ones to become like him.

[rdluffy]

I think it's a good idea to have 2 countries or even more hosting the World Cup because one country maybe don't have all the infrastructure to make the whole World Cup, and it helps football spreading in even more countries.
But my ideal of World Cup would be every 2 years instead of 4 and with 32 countries.

It is a good method for the development of infrastructures and increasing interest in football, but the same may not be true for footballers whose travel times will increase. If the distance between stadiums increases, group matches and final matches can have a tiring tempo. I think FIFA should pay attention to this.

On the other hand, it is a very good idea to organize the World Cup every two years. In this way, we will be able to watch some football players more. For example, the probability of Messi playing in the next World Cup is very low. However, if the World Cup organization was held every two years, we could definitely watch Messi once again.

This is why I'm talking about World Cup every 2 years, I know how it works, I know it's special because it's every 4 years, but I have some points, like:
--> UEFA Champions League happens every year, and it's a huge event, every football fan watch at least quarter finals, semi and finals.
--> Some good players lost their chance to play because it's every 4 years, it's usual to have lots of injuries near the time of World Cup, like Kante, Benzema, Pogba, Lo Celso, Sadio Mané, Coutinho etc, in my opinion, every 2 years is a better chance for all players to play at least 1 or 2 World Cups
--> Qualifies could be shorter, and Fifa always find their way.
--> Time to prepare the country should not be a problem, since you can chose the country several years before.

I didn't know much about this topic, but I thought it was very relevant to discuss this great event that will occur in 2026!

Guys, i have a question... do you believe that in the next World Cup we will have several other unforeseen events!!?

Which kind of events are you talking about gagux123?

[Ebede]

We are basically lamenting on this particular issue why the next FIFA World cup have not even fast-approaching we still have more time and they more years to come before the match will come up so I don't think that it is proper for me to be discussing of this particular match that will have not if you come close to discuss about

[STT]

co-hosted by three nations United States, Canada and Mexico.

Key Highlights

1- This will be the first time we will see 48 teams in the tournament,

Thats a giant area of land and also the amount of teams seems massive.  [Weather could be quite different in these places surely]  My first thought is it will allow more African  teams to progress because their level of play is so commonly high across the continent.  Does FIFA intend for the qualifying to be less stringent and the final event more of the decider increasing fairness perhaps.

I'm Just confused about Russia, are they still banned for 2026?

Another 3 years of war and killing their own and other people is probably more important a problem then sending a team to kick a ball.    Closer then that I doubt Russia is allowed back to any normal play while continuing on, there is really no context for a fair game against that backdrop of death;  doesnt make much sense to me.

[famososMuertos]

OP: The first thing, I think that you should have done a self-moderated thread, it is possible that your thread full of many opinions and nothing about the World Cup 2026, because there are many things that are not yet known.

If it were up to me, I would put a lock on this thread and open it when official things are known, and so on until I take it to the year 2026.

So hopefully we're here in continuity for a thread with a projection to its main theme 3 years in advance.  Now, You are "fever" or you dreamed of having a  World Cup thread.(?)

The situation around the subject is so poor in the real discussion that the last relevant thing that was officially said around the subject happened three weeks ago:
World Cup 2022: Fifa to reconsider format of 2026 World Cup after 'best ever' tournament

[nullama]

I'm not sure if it's a good thing to increase the number of teams qualifying for the World Cup 2026.

For example, in South America, about 70% of the teams would be able to qualify:



That's quite a lot really, the next world cup will start almost like a second round of qualification because there are so many teams there already.

[Hispo]

-snip-

My guess is that FIFA want to put Qatar behind and start off with the right foot in North America.
Besides, they may believe that changing the size of the tournament could bring more attention and profit to the next World Cup. It may have something too do that this next time it will be a bigger event (geographically) and plan to do it bigger on all sense.

Bigger does not mean better, though. I remain neutral to that decision.