The 2026 Football World Cup: A new chapter in the history of football.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be a historic tournament – not only because of the sporting excellence that can be expected, but also because of its format and venue. For the first time in the competition’s history, the World Cup will be held in three countries simultaneously: the United States, Canada and Mexico. This joint hosting marks a new chapter in the globalisation of football and is an expression of intensified international cooperation.
Plan your corporate event and conference today and invite the right football expert. We at Premium Speakers offer you top personalities for your event.
Lothar Matthäus – Football World Champion. From the football pitch to world champion. Outstanding presentations, talks and moderations.
Felix Kroos – Football expert and co-author of the most successful football podcast with his brother Toni Kroos ‘Einfach mal Luppen’.
Felix Brych – Former FIFA referee, twice world referee and six times referee of the year in Germany
Winfried Schäfer – Football expert, coaching legend and football cosmopolitan
Tim Borowski – Business & TV expert, former professional footballer
Ralf Rangnick – Coach of the Austrian national football team, expert on leadership, teamwork and leadership.
Oliver Kahn – ‘Keep going, keep going’, former national goalkeeper and FC Bayern Munich board member.
Holger Stanislawski – Cult coach, former football coach of FC Köln and FC St. Pauli
Urs Meier – Former FIFA referee, current expert on leadership and decision-making
Mario Basler – Former professional footballer, football legend and television pundit
Mirko Slomka – Football expert & sports manager, expert on managing high performance teams
René Adler – Former national goalkeeper, football expert, entrepreneur, TV pundit
Other personalities and experts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup such as Christoph Kramer, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Paul Breitner, Peter Knäbel and many more can be requested and booked at Premium Speakers at any time.
Another novelty is the expansion of the field of participants. Instead of 32 teams as before, a total of 48 national teams will be competing in 2026. This will make the World Cup bigger and more global than ever before. The group stage will consist of 12 groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout round, meaning that a total of 32 teams will reach the final round. This new format is intended to give more nations the opportunity to qualify and at the same time open up new markets and fan bases for international football.
The three host countries are preparing intensively for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The USA will host the majority of the matches, including the final, which is expected to take place at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta are also preparing for crowds of fans from all over the world. Canada will host matches in Toronto and Vancouver, while Mexico will be represented by Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City. This makes Mexico the first country to host a World Cup for the third time – after the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
In sporting terms, the 2026 World Cup will once again attract numerous top nations. Favourites such as Brazil, France, Germany and Argentina will compete with great ambitions, but underdogs such as Morocco, Japan and Senegal could also surprise once again. The last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 showed just how close the level in world football has become. Many teams now have internationally experienced players and professional structures, which leads to a more balanced competition.
Away from sport, social, economic and environmental issues are also in the spotlight. FIFA is under scrutiny when it comes to human rights, sustainability and transparency. The organisers promise modern infrastructure, environmentally friendly stadiums and an inclusive atmosphere for fans from all over the world. Whether these promises will be kept remains to be seen.
Overall, the 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be an exciting, diverse and pioneering tournament. With a record number of teams, unprecedented geographical breadth and enormous global exposure, this tournament could change the way football is experienced and organised around the world. Fans can look forward to emotional matches, surprising twists and unforgettable moments – a celebration of football is on the cards.
Hire top experts, speakers and personalities for your event from The Premium Speakers Agency now. Call us or write directly to welcome@premium-speakers.com