The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been one of stunning upsets and impressive victories from unlikely countries. There has been an incredible number of stories surrounding this middle eastern World Cup and a whole lot of controversy.
Whatever your views on this World Cup, it’s safe to say that it also brought with it a great amount of excitement for many of the teams involved, as well as a lot of upset, too, such as Wales getting knocked out of the competition by England, or Argentina being beaten 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in the group stages.
You may think it’s far too early to consider what will happen for the next World Cup. However, you’d probably be wrong, as it’s set to be something incredibly grand. The 2026 World Cup is set to be held across the continent of North America, with the USA, Canada, and Mexico all hosting games during the competition. So, what can we expect to see from the next World Cup? Here’s everything we know and a few predictions, too.
The 2022 World Cup Bid
The bidding process for each World Cup tends to be a convoluted process, especially due to how many countries make a bid. The reason for the popularity of being able to host the World Cup is often due to the amount of tourism that it can bring to the host country. The 2022 World Cup bid was, of course, won by Qatar.
Although, there was a lot of controversy around this, with some people even making corruption claims about FIFA, suggesting that Qatar may have bribed them to let them host the World Cup. In fact, seventeen of the twenty-two FIFA members responsible for deciding who would host the World Cup have now been banned over these allegations, yet the tournament still went ahead as planned.
The Successful North American Bid
Subsequently, the 2026 World Cup bidding had to be postponed because of the previous corruption case. Bidding was recommenced in May 2016, consisting of four different phases over the next two years. The first phase involved FIFA coming up with a new strategy as well as holding a consultation phase for the bidding process. This took a year to complete, and then the next phase involved preparation for the bid itself.
In March 2018, bids began to come through, and FIFA spent time evaluating each bid and considering which would be suitable for hosting the 2026 World Cup. The final decision for these bids happened in June 2018, with the joint bid between Canada, Mexico, and the USA being selected to host the World Cup in 2026.
The Host Cities For The 2026 World Cup
Out of the three host countries, the USA will have the most host cities, which is eleven in total. Mexico will have three host cities, and Canada will have two. The host cities were chosen due to their world-class stadiums and ability to host many tourists traveling to watch the games. The US host cities are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and New Jersey (which will host games in partnership with each other), Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Mexico will host games in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, and Canada shall host games in Toronto and Vancouver. Each city will host a selection of games throughout the group stages and the knockouts. As of writing this article, there has been no decision on where the final game shall be hosted, but Dallas, New York, and Los Angeles are the current front runners, so it’s likely to be in one of these areas.
Who Could Be The Favourites To Win?
As any football fan will know, a whole lot can change between seasons in a particular football tournament, whether it’s the Premier League, Ligue One, La Liga, or the Bundesliga. In fact, the best team in the league can suddenly switch gears halfway through due to injuries, changes in management, or new transfers, completely upsetting the balance of the team and knocking them off the top spot.
Watching the 2022 group-stage games will also show you that even the most talented of teams can be beaten by lower-ranked teams, too. Therefore, betting on games can be so popular among fans, as even the highest odds have a chance of paying off. Take advantage of these great odds during the next World Cup, especially via betting and casino sites that offer bonuses without requirements. These bonuses could include deposit boosters and promotions for new players, which could allow you to place certain bets with little to no risk.
What Impact Will This Have On North America?
The North American continent is no stranger when it comes to welcoming tourists. Of course, certain cities are much more popular than others, and the World Cup will only bolster those tourism numbers significantly in host cities and neighbouring locations.
This is because there will be a number of people staying in towns and cities surrounding host cities to save a bit of money on their accommodation, as host cities will see a hike in prices for hotels and bed and breakfasts. Instead, many will choose to stay further away and make use of public transport or hired cars to get to certain games.
Which Renowned Players Might We See?
As mentioned earlier, a lot can change in the world of football in the space of mere months, and the next World Cup takes place in four years. This means that there will be many veteran players out there who will be enjoying their last World Cup as a player in the 2022 World Cup.
The chances are that some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, and Gareth Bale, are all likely to be retired from the sport once 2026 rolls around. This means that the playing field is going to be slightly different, to say the least.
Of course, there are still plenty of incredible players that are playing today who are likely to only get better with even more experience. Take England, for example. This team is comprised of players predominantly in their twenties, with only a few being over thirty. This means that most will have a chance to still be playing in the next World Cup.
Which ‘Wonderkids’ Might Take Part?
There are many ‘wonderkids’ in the world of football today. These are players under 21 years old, who are already seen as world-class, such as Jude Bellingham, Pedri, and Gavi. These players are already showing what they’re made of on the world stage, and it’s likely we’re going to see even more young players rising up through the ranks over the next four years.
While it’s hard to accurately predict who will rise to the challenge and who will fall into obscurity, it’s exciting to think about the prospect of the next Messi surfacing in the next few years. Of course, there are also a number of veteran players who are beginning to come into their own, too, such as Marcus Rashford. Many claimed Rashford was past it, but his resurgence in the 2022 World Cup has set him up to become a better player than ever.
Again, football is hard to predict, so only time will tell.
