Hosting the 2026 World Cup should be a moment of national pride. Instead, it may prove a stress test for how well America can host the world.
In the summer of 2026, the United States (along with Canada and Mexico) will host the largest World Cup in history – 48 teams, 104 matches, drawing more than 7 million fans in 16 cities. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium just across the Hudson River from New York City.
It should be a moment of national pride. Instead, it may prove a stress test for how well America can host the world.
The last time the United States hosted the tournament in 1994, it attracted a record 3.6 million fans. Recent World Cups have come close. Stadium attendance hit about 3.43 million in Brazil 2014, 3 million in Russia 2018 and more than 3.4 million in Qatar 2022.
Continue reading the entire piece here at USA Today
______________________
Santiago Vidal Calvo is a Cities policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images