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All eyes may be on Russia as the 2018 World Cup unfolds, but many FIFA fans who are currently preoccupied with the games going on in Moscow will soon find themselves appreciating the fact that the 2026 World Cup is being held in North America. While some continue to doubt the hosting abilities of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the experiences of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup attendees will quickly be surpassed by those who venture to North America come 2026.
Here’s why North America is going to blow away the competition when it hosts the 2026 World Cup, and why future sporting events should continue to gravitate towards the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The World Cup must champion human rights
The World Cup is one of the most iconic events in human history; every four years, literally billions of people from all corners of the globe tune in to watch the nations of the world engaged in a bitter, glorious contest for athletic glory. As one of the greatest events of our time, the World Cup can and should champion human rights and the dignity of every athlete, fan, and human being. As long as we keep hosting World Cups in locations such as Russia and Qatar, the World Cup’s name will never be untarnished by the stain of human rights abuses.
Take the well-document human slavery occurring right now in Qatar in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, for instance. Right before the very eyes of the world, human beings are being bought and sold as commodities to build the stadiums where our cherished players will compete against one another in but a few years’ time. Every day, workers in Qatar are putting their lives and limbs at risk by labouring in brutal conditions to deliver us the stadiums we need to watch our games.
Critics of Mexico, The United States, and Canada may point out occasional deficiencies in the infrastructure or political habits of those nations, but it’s indisputable that the nations of North America remain some of the most prominent supporters and pioneers of human rights in the world. Workers preparing for the 2026 World Cup are likely to be treated right in North America, and the infrastructure of these countries can actually sustain such a massive influx of visitors without tanking local economies.
Human rights concerns aren’t the only reason the 2026 World Cup should be held in North America, however; the profits FIFA will generate alone will be tremendous, and we’ll see a record-level of enthusiasm for the sport of football that couldn’t be matched anywhere else.
North American infrastructure can handle the stress
Massive global events like the Olympics or the World Cup have a tendency to strain their host nations. While countries like Russia and Qatar have to dedicate massive percentages of their national budgets towards the preparation of facilities and infrastructure for these events, however, Canada, The United States, and Mexico all stand ready to withstand the influx of tourist they’re likely to see in 2026.
North America is already projected to generate an astonishing $11 billion in profits for FIFA, and unlike many other contenders who tried to snatch the 2026 World Cup, the North American host won’t have to scramble to prepare themselves. The United States, Canada, and Mexico already have a tremendous selection of arenas, boast low crime rates, and possess a plethora of tourist attractions, such as archery stadiums for bowgrid, likely to wow visitors from around the world.
As long as FIFA keeps relying on North American host for its World Cup games, expect profit margins to soar upwards. North Americans are surprisingly crazy about soccer, with Americans in particular regularly scooping up tickets in droves. Only North America possesses the capacity to allow the World Cup to expand to 48 teams and 80 matches, too. The 2026 event will blow all other recent World Cups out of the water and will demonstrate why it’s so imperative that future global athletic competitions get hosted in North America.
Given that the 1994 World Cup held in the United States still boasts the highest average attendance record, North America’s track record for selling tickets needs no defending. While the stadiums built on the backs of slaves elsewhere continue to go embarrassingly empty, North American stadiums will be packed to the brim, full of eager fans willing to spend their money to help the sport of Football. Despite the criticism that has been levelled at the 2026 World Cup’s North American host, it’s indisputable that FIFA as a whole will benefit from its decision to allow Mexico, Canada, and The United States to host the games. As the 2018 World Cup draws to an end, get ready to be wowed in 2026 when the real show begins.
