Soccer-2026 World Cup ‘invasion’ will develop North American love for the sport-Infantino

North America’s historical ambivalence to soccer is no match for the spectacle of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday, as he bids to make the world’s “beautiful game” the preeminent sport in the region as well.

World soccer governing body FIFA announced the 16 cities – 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada – that were successful from the 22 bids put forward in a special event at the Rockefeller Center in New York.

In televised remarks, Infantino boldly pledged that soccer would overtake all other sports in the region.

It’s a tall task in North America, where baseball is long considered “America’s pastime” and ice hockey Canada’s religion, and only Mexico can reasonably claim soccer as king.

For Infantino, changing that is imperative – if not inevitable.

“This part of the world, these three countries you are leading the world in many areas,” he told reporters. “But in the number one sport in the world, which is soccer or football, you are not – yet.

v