FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the 2026 FIFA World Cup smashed every record after Spain defeated Argentina in the final at a sold-out New York New Jersey Stadium to claim the title, www.aclsports.com reports.
Infantino praised Spain’s performance and the work of everyone involved in delivering the tournament.
“I feel good. I feel fantastic. I feel great, satisfied for the incredible success of this FIFA World Cup. I’m very proud, of course, of everything that has happened. Spain has been fantastic,” he said.
“They deserve to win the World Cup. Argentina has been great as well. But everyone that has operated in this World Cup, that has worked, has done an extraordinary job.”
Infantino told FIFA media that the tournament had broken attendance, viewership and goalscoring records, with almost seven million spectators in the stadiums, probably over six billion people watching from home and more than 300 goals scored, averaging almost three per match.
“Well, this World Cup has not just broken all possible records, it has smashed them, it has destroyed every record,” Infantino said.
The FIFA president said the tournament brought millions of people together across the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating memorable scenes among fans in stadiums and cities.
“We have seen images and scenes of fans in the stadiums, in the cities, in America, in Canada, in Mexico, all over the world, which are unique. And this reminds us that football in the World Cup is not just a competition, but it’s actually there to unite the world and to make, maybe, the world a little bit better,” he said.
Infantino also praised the performances of the top players, highlighting Rodri, who was the best player of the tournament, as well as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. He also highlighted the emergence of new players, debutants and the stories surrounding Cabo Verde.
“You cannot script the perfect World Cup in such a way as this World Cup happened. I think we have to invent a new vocabulary, new words to define the success of this World Cup,” he said.
Attention will now turn to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the centenary of the tournament and be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with celebration matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
Infantino said FIFA would assess whether the 48-team format should be retained or expanded to 64 teams, while also reviewing hydration breaks and the possibility of changes to the offside law.
He said the success of the 2026 World Cup showed that football could bring people together despite divisions around the world.
“Nothing can touch the power and the magic of the World Cup because the world needs events like this to bring them together, to bring people together in joy and happiness,” he said.
“We had peace, we had joy and we had people coming together, because when you do the things as we do at FIFA, with your heart and with passion, then they turn out perfectly well. This World Cup has been incredible, the next one will be fantastic.”
