Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat, Interview, Press Conference
A Conversation with FIFA President Gianni Infantino | Global Conference 2026
- The 48-team World Cup will be hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States over 39 days, involving 16 host cities, 500 official sites, and 300,000 accredited personnel, with the event kickoff scheduled for June 11 in Mexico City and operations moving to Los Angeles on June 12.
- Significant negative press is anticipated between the current date and June 1, while 47 of the 48 participating teams are expected to lose; despite this, the global audience is projected to focus heavily on the tournament, which will see African representation double from five to ten nations and drive changes in global investment dynamics.
- Economic projections estimate an $80 billion impact and the creation of 800,000 jobs globally, with the U.S. portion of the current $300 billion global soccer GDP (currently 3%) expected to rise toward a target of 30% (approximately $100 billion annually) by leveraging the women's team as a top-tier force and addressing youth retention issues where players aged 12 or 13 currently prefer other sports.
- Market demand is evidenced by 500 million ticket requests in January, significantly exceeding the combined 50 million from 2018 and 2022, with 25% of group stage tickets priced under $300 and secondary market rates for finals reaching $2 million, reflecting high entertainment sector valuations.
- The FIFA president plans to re-stand for election next year to finalize governance and transparency reforms, with strategic goals to increase world champion nations from the current few to 50 out of 211 members and allow 50 clubs globally to compete for the title, alongside the confirmed 2031 Women's World Cup in the United States and expansion of the U.S. MLS beyond its current 30 teams to compete with European, Chinese, and Saudi Arabian leagues.
- As a non-profit, FIFA reinvests revenues generated globally over 47 of every 48 months into development programs in 150 countries, women's competitions, and youth training to expand American investment into new regions and establish a grassroots ecosystem of academies and clubs.