FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that the start of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, has exceeded expectations.
After attending five matches at stadiums spread across the three host nations, the FIFA president said: "The start has been extremely successful and has surpassed our expectations."
Infantino also expressed his delight at the extraordinary atmosphere and packed stands, with average attendance exceeding 63,000 spectators across the first eight matches.
The FIFA president also praised the technical quality and the rising level of competition globally, citing the match between Switzerland and Qatar, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium.
In remarks highlighted on FIFA's official website, Infantino said: "This was not an opening match for any of the three host countries, and yet 68,000 spectators were present for the Qatar–Switzerland match in San Francisco."
He continued: "It was a wonderful match, and its result surprised some people while not surprising others."
Gianni Infantino concluded: "Football has become more competitive today across the world. Everyone can play football, and that is thanks to the work being done by all countries."
The 2026 tournament is the first edition of the World Cup to be held across three different countries, and also the first to feature 48 teams, after 32 teams had participated across seven consecutive editions in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.