Co-host Mexico opens the 2026 World Cup on Thursday against South Africa, the 2010 host, as Euronews reports. The tournament is the first edition with 48 teams and 104 matches, played in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Among the most famous venues are the Stadium in Mexico City, the Stadium in New Jersey (site of the final), and Stadium in Los Angeles.
Several teams are making their World Cup debut, including Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. The Uzbek team is coached by former Italian world champion Fabio Cannavaro and pins its hopes on Manchester City star Abdukodir Khusanov. According to FIFA, the World Cup players represent 449 different clubs from 71 countries.
For comparison, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was watched by 2.9 billion people on traditional television and 2.7 billion via streaming. The numbers underscore the tournament’s global reach.
Source: de.euronews.com
