The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a historic event in the world of soccer, marking a significant change in its format and structure.
This edition, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will bring together 48 national teams and will be distributed across 16 host cities.
An unprecedented World Cup
Unlike the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the venues were relatively close, the 2026 World Cup will present unprecedented logistical challenges.
The teams, coaching staff, and fans will face extensive air travel and time zone changes, with distances between cities that could exceed 4,500 kilometers.
An example of this is the distance between Vancouver and Miami, which will require more than five hours of flight, altering rest and preparation routines.
With 16 venues, this edition will become the second with the largest geographical deployment in the history of the World Cups, surpassed only by Korea-Japan 2002, which had 20 venues.
This surpasses Spain 1982, which had 14 cities as venues.
In recent decades, FIFA had opted for a more compact model, with between 10 and 12 venues, as in Brazil 2014, Germany 2006 and Russia 2018.
However, the expansion to 48 selections and 104 matches forced the competition to be decentralized.
Impact on the teams
The impact of the displacements will be uneven among the selections.
Some teams, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Algeria, and Czech Republic, could face long travels during the group stage.
On the other hand, the current champion, Argentina, could have one of the shortest itineraries, with approximately 750 kilometers of travel.
Territorial expansion will also present climatic and operational challenges, as teams will have to adapt to different temperatures, altitudes, and weather conditions in different regions of North America.
FIFA expects this new format to expand global reach and offer a more diverse experience for fans, although physical and logistical wear and tear could be a key factor in the development of the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first jointly organized by three countries and promises to be one of the most ambitious sporting events in history.
