The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is fast approaching. With the first match kicking off on 11th June and then the final taking place on 19th July, it’s a highly anticipated event. Who will win it? Who will be the surprise package? Which big Nation will be knocked out in the group stages?
This year the event is being co-hosted simultaneously by the USA, Canada and Mexico. Taking place across 16 cities in North America, 11 cities in Central America and 3 cities in Mexico. FIFA has earmarked a whopping $655 million (£490.5m) for the winner of the final match, marking a 50% increase on the 2022 prize of $440 million.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup, which took place in Qatar, had a record-breaking 5 billion people engage across various platforms, averaging at 175 million viewers per match. FIFA is predicting an overall engagement of 6 billion people total for this years tournament. And of Course, Leo Messi finally got his hands on the one trophy that had eluded his great career
FIFA World Cup History
Starting in 1930, FIFA World Cup started out with just 13 teams from 3 continents playing for the Jules Rimet Trophy, named after the first president. The tournament was hosted by Uruguay with approximately 64,346 fans watching. The tournament was created to allow the best football players in the world to compete, unlike the Olympic football tournaments which were limited to amateur players. Who can forget Pickles? The famous dog who found the trophy in 1966 following a theft just 4 months before the famous tournament kicked off in England.
The evolution of the FIFA World Cup
The World Cup tournament has gone through a number of changes over the years. The first edition in 1930 used a group stage, followed by semi-finals and then a final. Whereas the 1934 and 1938 tournaments which took place in Europe used a knock-out style format. After the war, the 1950 FIFA World Cup returned to the group stages, eventually introducing a ‘round-robin’ group match instead of a single final match.
Who are the favourites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026?
Spain & France are favourites to lift the Jules Rimet trophy this year. However, Brazil and current holders Argentina will always be in the conversation. And of course, England, will they end 60 years of hurt?! The heat, humidity and new 48 team format will certainly play a big part this year…
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