00:07Well, it will be a game changer, it will be an event, a global event, as the world has never
00:16seen, of a magnitude that will be massive, more than six million people will watch the games live in the
00:22stadiums, six billion people will watch them from home, and as we know, whatever happens here has an impact all
00:27over the world.
00:29So that will be great, but more importantly as well, what happens around the world has an impact here as
00:35well in terms of football or soccer, which will become the number one sport in this part of the world.
00:41The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest moment in the history of the CONCACAF region.
00:50Mexico has twice hosted the World Cup, the USA once, but never before has the competition stretched over three members
00:58of the same confederation.
01:02So often the domain of football nations from Europe and South America, the tournament puts CONCACAF at the center of
01:10the footballing universe.
01:11I think both the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women's World Cup really helped set the stage and change
01:19soccer in America.
01:21When I think about how the whole world came together in 94, I was at games in New York and
01:27New Jersey, games in Detroit, games in Orlando, and to see the melting pot and the diversity of the fan
01:33base, it was really a special event.
01:36And then you have the 1994, 1999 World Cup with the women, and to see how the entire nation got
01:42behind the women's team and were rooting the women's team on, you know, it's only something that we can hope
01:47for to have in 2026.
01:53We will be hosting the FIFA World Cup for the third time.
01:58We are great hosts, a country full of opportunities, a country that is all about tourism.
02:04And there is no doubt that all the people who will join us at the World Cup will have a
02:08great experience.
02:11Canada has already organized several FIFA events, not last the women's World Cup in 2015 with a final in Vancouver.
02:23The opening game in Canada will be in Toronto, and these are two cities which are, of course, football cities
02:30or soccer cities in Canada.
02:34Both cities are beautiful by nature and very, very cosmopolitan as well.
02:41So I'm sure that every fan who will attend games in Canada, be it in Vancouver or in Toronto, they
02:48will have a lot of fun and a lot of joy.
02:50I'm very proud and happy that Canada is part of this incredible World Cup.
02:56From Mexico City, inside the Tropic of Cancer, to the frigid north of Vancouver, the 2026 World Cup offers more
03:06breadth and depth than any previous tournament.
03:09A record 48 teams, competing in a record 104 matches over 39 days.
03:17The biggest festival of football in the game's history.
03:24The CONCACAF bid was announced as a successful host in 2018, defeating Morocco in a head-to-head contest.
03:34The opening match will take place at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the largest venue in use during
03:41the competition.
03:45The final will be at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, confirmation of the ascent of football in the US, 32 years
03:53after first welcoming the world.
03:56In 1994, you give the team a lot of credit and you give America a lot of credit for how
04:01they got behind the team.
04:02You know, some of these guys weren't full-time pros almost.
04:05And now you fast forward 20, 32 years, sorry, 32 years, and you see how soccer's evolved in the United
04:12States.
04:13You see MLS, how MLS has grown.
04:15We have the best player in the history of soccer playing in our league.
04:18You see the infrastructure with the stadiums, the training grounds that have been built.
04:22And now you get to revisit the World Cup 32 years later, and you can see how the fans evolved
04:28as well.
04:29On the three previous occasions a CONCACAF nation has hosted the World Cup, the competition has been won by a
04:36team from South America.
04:38This bodes well for defending champions Argentina and Lionel Messi, who already plies his trade in the US with Inter
04:46Miami.
04:48There is no higher recognition than hosting a World Cup.
04:51And in 2026, that honor falls to three members of the same confederation.
04:57A landmark in the history of the game.
05:00A high point for CONCACAF, home to some of the most forward-looking football nations.
05:07World Cup 2026 is coming to Canada, to the United States, and to Mexico.
05:13Take care, see you soon in Vancouver and all around North America.
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