Which World Cup will have three host nations?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first edition hosted by three different nations.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host the expanded 48-team tournament. While South Korea and Japan shared the event in 2002, this is the first time three countries have joined forces. Mexico will also become the first nation to host games in three separate World Cup years: 1970, 1986, and 2026.
Nerd Mode
The 2026 FIFA World Cup represents a massive logistical expansion in the history of international sports. FIFA officially approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams during a council meeting in January 2017. This change increases the total number of matches from 64 to 104, requiring a vast infrastructure that a single nation would struggle to provide alone.The tournament will be spread across 16 host cities: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada. To manage the environmental impact and player fatigue, FIFA has planned to group matches within three regional hubs: East, Central, and West. This strategy aims to minimize the carbon footprint associated with cross-continental travel between venues like Vancouver and Mexico City.Financially, the 'United Bid' projected revenues of over $14 billion, significantly higher than previous single-host tournaments. Mexico's Estadio Azteca will make history as the first stadium to host three opening matches of a World Cup. This tri-national hosting model is expected to set a precedent for future mega-events, such as the proposed 2030 World Cup spanning six countries across three continents.
Verified Fact
FP-0009346 · Feb 21, 2026