00:03The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest in football history and a landmark moment for the
00:09sport in North America. For us, it's obviously a momentous occasion for our region and for the
00:18three countries. I think it'll be a watershed moment for the sport. Never before has the
00:26competition spanned three members of the same confederation. And CONCACAF organisers will
00:31have their work cut out, putting on an unprecedented 104 matches featuring a record 48 teams.
00:44It will be a game changer. It will be an event, a global event as the world has never seen
00:52of a
00:52magnitude that will be massive. More than six million people will watch the games live in the
00:58stadiums. Six billion people will watch them from home. And as we know, whatever happens here has
01:03an impact all over the world. Mexico has hosted the World Cup twice before. Pele's crowning glory in
01:121970. And Diego Maradona's Tour de Force in 1986. While the USA heralded a new era stateside in 1994.
01:27Now you fast forward 20, 32 years, sorry, 32 years and you see how soccer's evolved in the United States.
01:34You see MLS, how MLS has grown. We have the best player in the history of soccer playing in our
01:39league.
01:40You see the infrastructure with the stadiums, the training grounds that have been built.
01:44And now you get to revisit the World Cup 32 years later and you can see how the fans evolved
01:50as well.
01:52From Mexico City, inside the Tropic of Cancer, to Vancouver, gateway to the Great White North.
01:59The 2026 World Cup offers more breadth and depth than any previous tournament.
02:07I'm sure that every fan who will attend games in Canada, be it in Vancouver, in Toronto,
02:13they will have a lot of fun and a lot of joy. I'm very proud and happy that Canada is
02:18part of this incredible World Cup.
02:24Football is booming in North America, helped by the growth of Major League Soccer in the US
02:29and the arrival of international stars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi.
02:36I've seen how much the game has grown in the last 10 years and it's incredible, you know,
02:42for it to have happened so fast and change in so many different ways.
02:49You know, people are really getting behind the game now throughout the US
02:53and it's great to see, it's great to have been a part of and I'm excited about 2026.
02:59With futuristic stadia already in place, 2026 is poised to break the record
03:06for the highest attended World Cup in history, an honour currently held by USA 94.
03:14You know, as we've said, the capacity of the stadiums, the number of fans who are going to be able
03:19to experience
03:20this World Cup will probably double in the stadiums than what we've had for previous World Cups.
03:27I think World Cup 94 holds the current record for attendance and that's going to be, you know,
03:32blown out of the water given the capacities that we have in these stadiums.
03:36Ever since Lionel Messi raised the World Cup trophy above his head in Qatar's Lucille Stadium,
03:42the clock has been ticking on World Cup 2026.
03:46The responsibility for showcasing the beautiful game passing from Asia to North America.
03:54The most important thing to remember is the World Cup transcends sport
04:00and it plays an exceptional role in uniting people and countries, creating lasting friendships.
04:06This is the most important legacy that we want to leave today
04:10and what we want the United States, Mexico and Canada to carry on in 2026
04:18when they host the next FIFA World Cup.
04:22We could not be more excited to host four years from now
04:26in partnership with Canada and Mexico the next World Cup.
04:32We are already part of work preparing for United 2026
04:39and we're looking forward to welcoming fans from around the world.
04:43It will be a World Cup to remember.
04:47So we accept these World Cup challenges with humility
04:53and we look forward to bringing the world together in 2026 back on the field, ready to compete
05:00for our teams and for our countries and for a better world.
05:05The blue touch paper has been lit.
05:08Get ready for the fireworks to begin.
05:13The World Cup is coming to Canada, the United States and to Mexico.
05:19Take care. See you soon in Vancouver and all around North America.
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