As the 2022 World Cup draws to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Canada/Mexico/United States.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, also known as the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup, will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This is the first time in the history of the World Cup that three countries will jointly host the World Cup, and it will also be an “plus size” World Cup.
Expanded to 48 participating teams
First of all, the number of participating teams in the 2026 World Cup will increase to 48,
which means that there will be more games and a longer schedule.
The current World Cup has 32 teams participating, divided into 8 groups, each group has 4 teams to compete.
A total of 64 games are needed from the start to the final end, and it will be completed in about 32 days.
This mode was first launched in the 1998 World Cup in France,
and it is also the most familiar to fans today. It has been used for 7 World Cups in 24 years.
By 2026, the number of teams in the World Cup will increase to 48,
with 45 winning qualifiers, plus teams from the three host nations.
The World Cup has experienced multiple expansions in history. From 1930 to 1950, the number of participating countries in the World Cup was between 13 and 16.
- In 1954, 16 teams participated in the competition.
- In 1986, it increased to 24 teams.
- In 1998, it increased again to 32 teams.
The 48 teams in 2026 are the largest expansion in the history of the World Cup.
In any case, the expansion will significantly increase the number of stadiums and infrastructure needed for the World Cup, which is not an easy task for any country.
Therefore, the United States, Canada and Mexico co-host the World Cup.
China is expected to make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The good news about the expansion is that the number of places in each continent has increased,
so the number of places in Asia will also increase to 8.5,
which also means that Chinese football is expected to hit the World Cup this time.
If they can successfully get the World Cup quota, it will also allow Chinese football to stand tall and stand out from the crowd.
This is what Chinese fans have been wanting to see for more than 20 years.
FIFA’s revenue is expected to increase by $1 billion in 2026
On the other hand, an increase in the number of events also means an increase in revenue,
and FIFA will get more money from the sale of TV rights.
Statistics show that copyright and sponsorship revenue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar reached US$7.5 billion, an increase of US$1 billion for the 2018 World Cup.
And by 2026, FIFA’s revenue is likely to increase by another $1 billion. Of course, these revenues will be used to invest in football.
The demand for LED screens increases with the number of stadiums
Although Chinese football unfortunately missed the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the Qatar World Cup is full of Chinese elements,
from the surrounding markets to the various LED displays in the stadium, and even Qatar’s main stadium.
The Lusail Stadium, also made in China, made China participate in the World Cup in Qatar with another special atmosphere.
According to the director of HOla-LED, the 2026 World Cup jointly held by the United States, Canada and Mexico will expand the demand for LED displays,
and the main production place of LED displays is from Shenzhen, China.
Therefore, the hosting of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will drive Shenzhen’s economic development, especially the LED display production industry.
