Infantino calls 2026 World Cup 'greatest in history'

Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), declared the 2026 World Cup the "greatest World Cup in history" during a reception in New York. He lauded the United States' significant role in the tournament's unprecedented success, calling it the "greatest human, social, and cultural event ever witnessed by the world."

Infantino expressed his delight with the event's record-breaking statistics ahead of the final match between Argentina and Spain. He noted the presence of seven million spectators in stadiums and ten million more in fan zones across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with billions tuning in on television. The tournament has shattered all previous attendance records, with a total of 6,665,000 fans in stadiums, exceeding the combined attendance of the 2018 and 2022 editions. This figure also surpasses the previous US record of 3,587,000 fans from the 1994 World Cup, averaging 65,351 fans per match with a 99.7% stadium occupancy rate.

US President Donald Trump echoed Infantino's enthusiasm, calling the event "the biggest sporting event, certainly in the history of the entire world." He described the expanded 48-team competition as "unprecedented, full of excitement and unforgettable moments" that has "truly united the world." Trump projected that the tournament would achieve the highest viewership in history, potentially reaching "6 billion viewers" by its conclusion. He congratulated all participating teams, stating that the 2026 World Cup "will go down in history."