Today the World Cup starts in Qatar, but many, especially those calling for a boycott, are already looking forward to the next event in four years
Today begins the World Cup in Qatar, the most controversial in history. Many fans will choose to turn off television for the next four weeks in protest at bringing the World Cup to a country that does not respect human rights and whose choice of venue is under scrutiny by a Swiss court. They are looking elsewhere, particularly to 2026.
The World Cup will regain its ‘normality’ in four years, although the wait will be less. The World Cup will be held again in June and July and the event has moved to Concacaf (the North American Federation).
The United States, Mexico and Canada are the organizers of the 2026 World Cup. It will be the first time there will be three host teams and will serve as a launching pad for the new format that will bring FIFA to the World Cups.
What caused so many complaints in the football world will finally come true. The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 teams, 16 more than now. Europe goes from 13 to 16 teams, Africa from 5 to 9, Asia from 4 to 8, South America from 4 to 6, North America from 3 to 6 and Oceania gets a permanent place. The remaining two places are determined by a mini-play-off tournament played by six teams, one per confederation, excluding UEFA and the host country. The competition will completely change. There will be 16 groups of 3 teams each, for the eight of the four current teams. The top two advance to the round of 16.
Spain is pinning all hopes on 2024. In two years’ time, and in the context of the 74th FIFA Congress, the leaders will choose the venue for the 2030 World Cup. A World Cup that will be very special because it is the centenary of the competition.
After Qatar and the joint organization of the US, Mexico and Canada, Europe has many options to host another World Cup, although South America will be the strongest rival. Spain’s candidacy is linked to Portugal and Ukraine. Most matches would be played in our country, while Portugal would provide only two stadiums and Ukraine would host a group stage match, symbolically and as a gesture of the Russian invasion that has plagued the country since March.
On the other hand, the four-time candidacy of Argentina, Uruguay – the country that hosted the first World Cup in 1930, Paraguay and Chile. They are the two with the most votes, although there are still two options. The third is Morocco. The country presents itself again and only looking for the World Cup that South Africa took away from them in 2010. The last and strangest is that of the confederations of Europe, Asia and Africa. Greece, Saudi Arabia – also a country where human rights are not respected – and Egypt. Due to this latest candidacy, the World Cup would be postponed to November.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
