Next summer, the United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in 11 cities across the country.
Soccer is a sport that has seen exponential growth in the United States in recent years, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino is confident the 2026 World Cup is sure to expedite that growth.
“What is seen outside of the United States is that, of course, in America, other sports are more important than soccer, which is the most important sport all over the world and every other country virtually,” Infantino said during an appearance on “The Herd” on Tuesday. “But the two World Cups — the one this summer with the clubs and with the countries next year — we will change this fundamentally.”
But he also thinks there’s still more that can be done to make soccer the unequivocal No. 1 sport in the U.S.
“You are the United States of America, the greatest country in the world.” “You are No. 1 in everything that you do. You cannot be satisfied with being No. 20 in the No. 1 sport in the world; you want to be No. 1, so let’s go for it.”
His suggestion on how the U.S. can get there?
“They should listen to me!” Infanto said with a laugh. “They’d become No. 1 in the world.”
Infantino also sees an opportunity for increased investment in the sport.
“The impact will be global,” Infaninto said. “The Super Bowl, which is fantastic, has what? — 120-130 million viewers; the World Cup has six billion viewers? A World Cup is 104 Super Bowls in one month. That’s three Super Bowls a day. This happens from here and this can happen every week if you have the best league in the world.”
Until then, Infantino has been encouraged by the steps U.S. Soccer’s governing bodies have taken to develop the sport domestically.
“The work that has been done with MLS in the United States and Canada, the work with the academies that has been put forward has been really impressive,” Infantino said. “You have a good team, you have good players, you have a great coach as well — Mauricio Pochettino, who’s fantastic — and these players they play now for the best teams in the world or in Europe, if you want, and the world can see that.
“Combine this with the fact that a World Cup is going to be played at home, well, that’s a pretty explosive combination, isn’t it?”
FOX Sports is the official English-language home of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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