News Focus
- The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico
- Recent hosts South Africa (2010) and Qatar (2022) both failed to reach the knockout rounds
- Five of the first eleven tournaments were won by the host nation
- Brazil continue their qualification campaign with a fixture against Haiti
- FIFA’s expansion to 48 teams aims to spread football to new global markets
Football tradition suggests that every World Cup needs a strong performance from the host country. When the home team progresses far in the competition, it creates incredible excitement among local supporters and adds passion to the tournament atmosphere.
The 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea provide a clear example. South Korea fought through difficult matches, including some disputed decisions, to reach the semi-finals. Eventually, Germany defeated them, but their courageous journey united the nation and demonstrated the power of home advantage.
In the early decades of the competition, host nations regularly lifted the trophy. The first eleven tournaments saw five victories by countries playing on their own soil. Uruguay started this trend in the inaugural 1930 event. Italy followed four years later, while England claimed glory in 1966. West Germany succeeded in 1974, and Argentina completed this golden era for hosts in 1978.
Today, the situation has changed completely. FIFA continues to push for football growth across new regions worldwide. Because of this global expansion, host nations now struggle to maintain past success rates. Both South Africa in 2010 and Qatar in 2022 failed to progress beyond the initial group phase, departing early despite massive home support.
As Brazil face Haiti in their latest qualifier, attention turns to whether the 2026 North American hosts can reverse this recent pattern. The United States, Canada and Mexico will hope to write their own success stories when the tournament begins.