Podcast
Podcast 44
For a sense of how truly enormous the FIFA World Cup is, consider this statistic. The last Super Bowl was watched by 128 million people, while the last World Cup Final was watched by 1.5 billion people—more than 10 times as many. The World Cup is not just the biggest soccer event on the planet, it’s a bona fide cultural phenomenon, sparking everything from wars (between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969) to seismic activity (Mexico’s 2018 defeat of Germany). Not to mention making household names of players from Pele and Maradona through Zidane and Beckham to Messi and Ronaldo. (Soccer is the world's most popular sport. But who invented it?) The 2026 tournament will be the biggest yet, with a record 48 international teams competing across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The action—a mouth-watering 104 matches over 39 days—will take place in 16 host cities, with nearly 3,000 miles between the northernmost, Vancouver, and the furthest south, Mexico City. This epic geographic spread lends itself perfectly to road tripping, with fan-zones and festivals happening across all three countries participating in the tournament. The final draw takes place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., but with match-day tickets already selling and accommodation booking up, now is the time to start planning.
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For a sense of how truly enormous the FIFA World Cup is, consider this statistic. The last Super Bowl was watched by 128 million people, while the last World Cup Final was watched by 1.5 billion people—more than 10 times as many. The World Cup is not just the biggest soccer event on the planet, it’s a bona fide cultural phenomenon, sparking everything from wars (between Honduras and El Salvador in 1969) to seismic activity (Mexico’s 2018 defeat of Germany). Not to mention making household names of players from Pele and Maradona through Zidane and Beckham to Messi and Ronaldo. (Soccer is the world's most popular sport. But who invented it?) The 2026 tournament will be the biggest yet, with a record 48 international teams competing across three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The action—a mouth-watering 104 matches over 39 days—will take place in 16 host cities, with nearly 3,000 miles between the northernmost, Vancouver, and the furthest south, Mexico City. This epic geographic spread lends itself perfectly to road tripping, with fan-zones and festivals happening across all three countries participating in the tournament. The final draw takes place on December 5 in Washington, D.C., but with match-day tickets already selling and accommodation booking up, now is the time to start planning.
