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What would a 3-host North American 2026 FIFA World Cup look like?

Action Images / John Sibley Livepic

CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani revealed Thursday plans for a joint bid from the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an incredible opportunity for North America to host the first 48-team event across a vast continent for an audience of hundreds of millions of fans.

But what would a 2026 World Cup hosted by those three nations look like?

Stadiums and venues

A 48-team World Cup brings with it changes from the 32-team format, including an increase from the standard 10-12 venues. With three countries to choose from, this World Cup might see 16-20 host cities, as the new format includes 16 groups of three teams each. The U.S. will likely host the bulk of the event, with Canada and Mexico divvying up the other half among themselves.

The U.S. recently hosted the Copa America Centenario, and that should give a pretty good indication of which cities will likely host a World Cup. Chicago, Boston, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, and Orlando are all obvious looks, while new stadiums could pop up in MLS expansion cities like San Diego, Miami, Minneapolis, or perhaps St. Louis.

There are so many cities to choose from in the U.S. that predicting it now is impossible, but in Canada, the options are a little more limited. Toronto is an obvious host, with Montreal, Vancouver, and Edmonton also likely choices. If Canada has four spots, it'll go to these four cities, but if Canada is limited to three, expect Vancouver to be sacrificed, as it is close in proximity to Seattle.

As for Mexico, a trip to the Azteca Stadium is all but assured for some teams, and Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, and Mexico City are all potential host cities. Azteca's intimidating and vast expanses have become something of a legend in the region and would serve as a great World Cup Final venue, though the Rose Bowl in Pasadena is a larger option, while a Canadian venue would provide a first experience hosting the grand finale for the red nation up north.

Newcomers in a new format

Because there are 48 teams competing in the 2026 World Cup, there will likely be plenty of newcomers making their competitive debuts in the tournament, and a few familiar faces returning after a long exile.

As a host nation, Canada would gain automatic qualification, and, if the country cannot qualify for the 2022 affair, it would be Canada's first World Cup finals appearance since 1986. The U.S. and Mexico are mainstays in the tournament these days, but with three host nations from CONCACAF, the region would be limited to only three or four remaining spots to fight over.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the Bureau of the FIFA Council recently announced a proposal for the allocations of each federation. Here's what that looks like:

Confederations Previous Proposed Change
AFC 4.5 8 +3.5
CAF 5 9 +4
CONCACAF 3.5 6 +2.5
CONMEBOL 4.5 6 +1.5
OFC 0.5 1 +0.5
UEFA 13 16 +3

The basic rundown is that there will be more nations from Africa and Asia, with six of the 10 South American nations qualifying automatically, too. That should make for a fun, diverse group stage and lots of interesting storylines in the knockout rounds.

Technological advancements

While we can't predict what the world of 2026 will look like, the U.S. has been a hotbed of innovation for a long time, and though technology is a global industry, the 2026 World Cup could provide soccer fans some unique experiences.

Major League Soccer has made no secret of its desire to use video-replay technology in its matches, so a 2026 World Cup hosted in the U.S. could provide the final push for such an implementation if FIFA opts not to proceed this year, despite successful trials in recent weeks.

Virtual reality is another new and exciting venture, especially as it pertains to sports. Placing a live broadcasting 16-directional camera in a seat and allowing fans to livestream matches using virtual-reality headsets could give millions of people an in-house experience regardless of distance.

While these are not entirely impossible today, by 2026, technological advancements in these spaces should hopefully provide seamless, high-quality experiences which could make the 2026 World Cup a marvel for fans all around the world.

(Photos Courtesy: Action Images)

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