The stage is set, Countdown Begins

From June 11, 2025, the countdown officially begins: exactly one year later, on June 11, 2026, the FIFA World Cup will kick off — and it promises to be the most historic edition yet.

For the first time, 48 nations will compete in a single World Cup. And for the first time, the tournament will be jointly hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

When Lionel Messi lifted the 2022 World Cup trophy in Qatar, few imagined that three years, five months, and 21 days later, the 23rd edition of the tournament would begin under such grand circumstances. On Wednesday, the official countdown began.

The United States is ready to deliver a World Cup to remember. Just 30 years ago, the idea that “football” — or “soccer,” as it's known in the U.S. — would attract mass attention was almost unimaginable. But thanks to the steady rise of Major League Soccer (MLS), football has now become part of the American sports identity.

Over the past three decades, football fandom has grown from a seed into a thriving tree in the U.S. The country hosted the 1994 World Cup solo, proving its organizational capability. And much of the recent surge in football enthusiasm, particularly around the MLS, is credited to one man — Lionel Messi.

Alfonso Mondelo, Director of Competition at MLS, told Spanish outlet Marca that, “MLS has played an undeniable role in the growth of football in our country. And much of MLS’s blooming success is thanks to Lionel Messi. You could say Messi is a milestone in American football.”

The 2026 World Cup will open on June 11 in Mexico City and conclude with the final in New York on July 19. Across 16 cities in the three host countries, 104 matches will be played — the highest number in any World Cup to date.

The stage is set. The countdown has begun. Let the world’s biggest sporting celebration begin.