In 2026, a new chapter will begin in the history of the FIFA World Cup. For the first time in the history of FIFA, there will be 48 countries competing; moreover, for the first time, the games will be hosted by multiple countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The last time more than one country hosted the World Cup games was back in 2002 when Japan and Korea were the co-hosts. Among the various reasons that led to the first co-hosting countries of the international sporting event, one of the most significant reasons was to mitigate hostile rivalry between the two countries whose political conflicts and tensions date way back in their history. 

FIFA’s decision to award the 2026 World Cup to three countries is clearly different from the nature of its decision in 2002. Interestingly, the reason that the World Cup will be hosted in three countries has not been clearly explained by any news sources so far. Yet whatever the reason is that motivated FIFA to land on this unprecedented decision, it is by far the most practical and reasonable decision that FIFA has made in its almost centennial history. 

One of the challenges that we see in almost all international sporting events is the hosting countries’ inability to utilize their facilities after the events take place. Prior to the events, hosting countries will spend an astronomical amount of money to build the sporting facilities as well as various accommodations, including hotels, restaurants, and sites of attractions. However, oftentimes, when the event is over, all these facilities lose the purpose as they are often built nowhere near the cities or suburbs where the majority population resides. An example that reflects this post-game challenge would be the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in South Korea. Four years after the Pyeongchang Olympics, the ice rink was closed after being covered with cement due to too much maintenance cost. Moreover, the former ski resort is now unrecognizable. 

The 2026 World Cup co-hosted by three countries to accommodate all the participating countries, therefore, makes sense. If the event were to take place in one country, the amount of money that it would need to spend to build the facilities, which will lose their purpose after the event, would be unimaginable and unrealistic. FIFA’s decision to create a simultaneous holding will absolutely save resources and costs.