2026 FIFA World Cup: what could such a huge event mean for sport and sponsorship in the Americas?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place in the USA, Mexico and Canada and see the event covering the Americas for the first time. For Canada, of course, it marks the first time it has ever hosted football’s premier competition.

Set to kick off next summer, it will include 12 groups of four teams, and the first game will be played at Mexico’s famous Azteca Stadium. It promises to be a feast of top-class sporting action and will deliver lots of games for fans to enjoy.

What also comes with such a world-renowned event is an endless amount of attraction from other industries and personas coming to support their nations. From political figures, actors and other sports personalities, there is an array of entertainment juggernauts that will be representing their nations in the upcoming tournament including sports and entertainment icon Antanas Guoga. Offerings in the online entertainment sector will be in full show in the upcoming tournament in all industries that will provide unique destinations for entertainment between games such as poker online to take advantage of everything the World Cup will have to offer.

Who will win the World Cup in 2026?

Although there’s still a bunch of World Cup 2026 qualification games happening, we can already predict some of the teams expected to shine. Euro 2024 winners Spain are the favourites with many fans and look to have an excellent chance of claiming the spoils.

France have a talented squad to call on though, and will be in the mix for sure. England only just missed out on Euro 2024 glory and it will be interesting to see how they do under new coach Thomas Tuchel.

What effect will the 2026 World Cup have on sport in the Americas?

The most obvious impact you would expect is a massive boost in popularity for football in particular across the Americas. Hosting the action will mean that people in Mexico, Canada and the USA who don’t usually watch football will take the time to check it out.

This will be especially true for games involving their own national teams and could see interest spike if any of them go deep into the competition. The overall impact is more people in the Americas getting into football and discovering its merits. For a country such as Canada (where ice hockey is still the dominant sport), it could really boost how popular football is moving forward.

Of course, the same effect could broadly be true for sports in general across the Americas. Hosting such a major event in world sports will push people across Mexico, Canada and the US to start getting active themselves. Watching finely honed athletes achieve glory may well provide the inspiration for more people in the Americas to get involved with sports and see participation in them grow. 

How else might the 2026 World Cup impact sport around the Americas?

Playing host to such a major event as the 2026 FIFA World Cup is certain to attract even more big-name sporting competitions to the Americas in future. Although none have been confirmed as yet, you feel that this is certain to happen if all goes well at football’s premier tournament next year.

This, of course, is great news for sports in the region, as it will become a destination for the best events and a hub for global sporting excellence. This will not only bring more revenue into the region over time but also help sports in the Americas grow over the years. 

Positive effect for sponsorship deals in the Americas

As well as a potential boost for sports around the Americas and football in particular, the upcoming World Cup is set to attract a lot of sponsorship deals from major brands. This is because they want their brand to be seen by the billions of people who watch World Cup games and want their company to be linked to a healthy activity such as football.

This kind of interest could have a very positive impact for sponsorship deals around the Americas moving forward. It will prove to global sponsors that this region is not only able to host large-scale events but also provide the kind of visibility brands want for their money. This in turn will see companies more confident of sponsoring future events in the region and more likely to invest money into the Americas.

Sport in the America set for 2026 World Cup boost

The FIFA World Cup is a real spectacle and something that even non-sports fans can’t help but get involved with. 2026’s version looks to be no exception and should have a positive impact on sport and sponsorship in the Americas.