The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be the biggest single-sport event ever staged, and Bloomberg’s Sports City segment is back to cover every angle of it. With 48 teams, 16 host cities, and three countries sharing hosting duties for the first time, this tournament is less a sporting event and more a continental logistics experiment with a ball.

Scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, the tournament marks a dramatic expansion from the traditional 32-team format. That’s 16 additional national teams competing, which means more matches, more venues, and a whole lot more money flowing through the global sports economy.

Three countries, one tournament

The United States, Mexico, and Canada will each contribute host cities, turning North America into one massive stadium complex for roughly five weeks.

The opening match is set for Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a venue that has already hosted two World Cup finals (1970 and 1986) and has undergone renovations to prepare for its latest starring role. MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey gets the honor of hosting the final. Other notable host cities include Los Angeles, Toronto, and Guadalajara.

The business of being massive

Bloomberg’s coverage, led by reporter Randall Williams, is focusing on what this event means for the sports business landscape.

For the three host nations, the calculus is straightforward: use the World Cup’s global spotlight to boost tourism, infrastructure investment, and national brand visibility. The US in particular has been on a sports hosting tear, and landing the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium cements the New York/New Jersey metro area as a premier destination for mega-events.