The excitement of young men and women in yellow and green jerseys, as I saw them descend the escalator at the airport, made me feel good.
Emblazoned across their jerseys was just one word: Brazil.
When I asked whether they were American fans of the Brazilian football team, or Brazilians who had come to watch the matches, a beaming young man exclaimed in a heavy Portuguese accent, “We Brazil. We come to watch match. Here. Tomorrow.”
It was 12 June, and I had arrived at New York’s JFK Airport. I did not know then that, on the following day, Brazil would play Morocco in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at a nearby stadium.
I realised these fans would soon go to MetLife Stadium, officially designated as the New York New Jersey Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
One could sense that football mania had gripped the region, not just through the giant posters, billboards, full-page newspaper ads, or colourful merchandise, but through the very pulse of the city. The infectious excitement was unmistakably in the air.
FIFA 2026 features 104 matches spread across 16 host cities in 3 countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The stadium hosting the most matches is Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with nine games. Close behind it, hosting eight games each, are the New York New Jersey Stadium, Los Angeles Stadium, Atlanta Stadium, Miami Stadium, and BC Place Vancouver.
As we drove past the New York New Jersey Stadium, I could not help but admire the massive signboards and preparations for a month-long football fiesta that will culminate in the World Cup Final at the same venue.
The Brazil–Morocco match -- the only Brazil match held so far -- may have ended in a 1–1 draw, but Brazil will always remain one of football’s most celebrated nations. No country has won the FIFA World Cup a record five times, as it has done. Whether they will lift the trophy again is a question only time can answer.
Yet beyond the goals, trophies, and celebrations lies a bigger story. The FIFA World Cup is also a powerful economic engine.
Major tournaments attract millions of visitors and generate billions of dollars in economic activity. Hotels fill up, restaurants welcome new customers, local transportation systems see increased usage, and small businesses benefit from the influx of visitors. From construction workers and hospitality staff to security personnel and event managers, thousands of jobs are created directly and indirectly.
Host nations also use the World Cup as a catalyst for long-term development. Stadiums are upgraded, airports expanded, roads improved, and public transportation strengthened. While football may last only a few weeks, the infrastructure investments often serve communities for decades afterward.
The benefits are not merely financial. The World Cup brings together people from different languages, cultures, religions, and political systems. For a few weeks, billions of people focus on a common passion. Rivalries remain on the pitch, while friendships are built in the stands, airports, restaurants, and city streets.
Consider the United States and Iran, both participants in FIFA 2026. Politics may place nations on opposite sides, and even at war, but sport creates opportunities for respect, dialogue, and shared experiences. Football cannot solve every conflict, but it can remind us of our common humanity.
That may be the World Cup’s greatest achievement. It does not simply crown a champion. It stimulates economies, accelerates development, showcases nations, and unites people across borders. In a world too often divided by conflict and uncertainty, FIFA 2026 offers something refreshingly different: a celebration where competition inspires progress, and where everyone, in some way, emerges a winner.
