Infantino assures the 2026 World Cup will deliver an unforgettable experience.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are going well, promising the tournament will offer an unforgettable experience for fans around the globe.

The global football showpiece will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with less than a month to go before kick-off across the expanded 104-match format.

According to a post on FIFA’s website Thursday, Infantino said, “Preparations are going extremely well. The excitement is really building. We’ve been waiting for this moment and the kick-off for years, so it’s finally time to get started.”

He added that the scale of preparation across all host cities reflects the importance of the tournament.

“All 16 Host Cities are working tirelessly to make sure that, for the fans, everything is in place. There are FIFA Fan Festivals and public viewings all over the three countries. Every mayor, every governor, every leader in these countries is engaged, and engaging to make sure that everyone has an unforgettable experience,” he said.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11 in Mexico City, where Mexico will face South Africa in the opening match.

Infantino noted that the three host nations are fully aligned in their preparations, with stadium upgrades, pitch installations, and logistics being finalized ahead of the global event.

“We are ready to open the doors to the world, to welcome the world to Canada, Mexico, and the United States,” he said.

He also highlighted new fan engagement initiatives, including a partnership with Fanatics Fest in New York, which will host pre-final activities and a press conference ahead of the tournament’s climax.

“We are working as well with Fanatics, and from 16 to 19 July, we will be present at the Javits Center for the Fanatics Fest,” Infantino said. “And actually, something very new, the FIFA pre-match, pre-final press conference will take place at this event.”

In an exciting new twist, the 2026 World Cup final will include a halftime show created in partnership with Global Citizen, designed to raise awareness for global education initiatives.

“We are teaming up also with Global Citizen to produce the very first FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show. A halftime show with incredible artists, which will be announced very shortly as well,” he added.

With millions of fans expected to attend matches and billions more watching worldwide, Infantino described the upcoming tournament as one of the most ambitious in football history.