LOS ANGELES, (United States): The 100-day countdown to the biggest World Cup in history gets under way on Tuesday against a chaotic backdrop of global unrest, from US-Israeli strikes on Iran to surging violence in Mexico and anxiety over Donald Trump’s domestic agenda.
A record 48 teams — up from 32 in 2022 — and millions of fans are set to descend on the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first ever World Cup shared by three nations.
The greatest footballing show on earth kicks off on June 11 at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca and will conclude nearly six weeks later on July 19 at the 82,500-seater MetLife Stadium just outside New York.
A total of 104 matches will be played across 16 venues and four time zones, with the bulk of the action taking place in the United States, which will host 78 games.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is confidently predicting a commercial bonanza from the tournament, which is expected to generate record revenues of $11 billion, comfortably eclipsing the $7 billion earned through the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Infantino has repeatedly described the 2026 tournament’s scale as equivalent to “104 Super Bowls”, citing a global television audience in the billions and more than 508 million requests for some seven million tickets.
“The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” Infantino said earlier this month.
Yet FIFA’s revenues will also be boosted by a ticketing policy that is likely to price out many fans. Fan groups around the world, such as Football Supporters Europe, have accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” over pricing.
FIFA responded to those criticisms by introducing a tiny sliver of tickets priced at $60 for official supporters groups.
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