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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The upcoming FIFA World Cup set to take place in North America will be “very important,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Friday, with the prestigious football tournament set to include 48 teams for the first time in its history.
The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the first to be hosted by three nations and to include an expanded 48 teams as opposed to the traditional 32.
“It will be a very important World Cup. Mexico, Canada, and the United States, 16 cities,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.
Eleven cities in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada will host the prestigious tourney, according to Infantino.
“We are working to make this the biggest, biggest world cup ever … the whole world will be there. We welcome the entire world because football unites us,” he added.
The expansion of the World Cup has been highly controversial, with opponents of the decision accusing Infantino of being politically motivated with the decision, saying that countries are being added to the tourney to win his election.
The high-level week of the 78th annual UNGA commenced on Tuesday and will continue through this week. Hundreds of world leaders and delegates have gathered in New York to attend the event, with around 150 heads of states and governments set to deliver speeches.
The theme of this year’s summit is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.”
The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the first to be hosted by three nations and to include an expanded 48 teams as opposed to the traditional 32.
“It will be a very important World Cup. Mexico, Canada, and the United States, 16 cities,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.
Eleven cities in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada will host the prestigious tourney, according to Infantino.
“We are working to make this the biggest, biggest world cup ever … the whole world will be there. We welcome the entire world because football unites us,” he added.
The expansion of the World Cup has been highly controversial, with opponents of the decision accusing Infantino of being politically motivated with the decision, saying that countries are being added to the tourney to win his election.
The high-level week of the 78th annual UNGA commenced on Tuesday and will continue through this week. Hundreds of world leaders and delegates have gathered in New York to attend the event, with around 150 heads of states and governments set to deliver speeches.
The theme of this year’s summit is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.”
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