Infantino: Azteca's 'Magic' United Mexico, US, and Canada for World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino believes the "magic" of Mexico City's Estadio Azteca played a significant role in bringing Mexico, the United States, and Canada together to organize the 2026 World Cup. He referred to the historic stadium as a "cathedral of football."

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This stadium is blessed as a cathedral of football. It is important that three countries like Mexico, United States, and Canada work together to organize this event, and I believe the magic of the Azteca has contributed to it.

Infantino highlighted the Azteca's legendary status, noting that it has witnessed World Cup victories by Pelé and Maradona. He also recalled iconic moments such as the "game of the century" in 1970 when Italy defeated Germany, and Manuel Negrete's memorable goal in 1986. "This is a stadium that is blessed by the gods of football," Infantino remarked.

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This is a stadium that is blessed by the gods of football.

The FIFA chief emphasized the unprecedented scale of the event, calling it the "greatest event in human history" with 48 teams competing across three nations. He projected that over six billion people would watch the matches for free from home.

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It is the greatest event in the history of humanity, with 48 teams participating in three different countries. More than 6 billion from home watching the matches for free.

While acknowledging that FIFA has faced difficulties in organizing an event of this magnitude, Infantino assured that the organization has strived to resolve all issues. "We know that an event of this magnitude cannot be organized perfectly," he stated, adding that they try to make the best of every situation. Regarding potential winners, Infantino identified Spain, Portugal, and France as European contenders, with Colombia from the Americas, and Morocco, Senegal, or Japan from Africa and Asia respectively.

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We know that an event of this magnitude cannot be organized perfectly. It is true that we have been confronted with challenges that we would have preferred not to face. Sometimes they can be resolved, sometimes not, but we try to make the best of things.