May 03, (THEWILL) – FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has urged investors and governments in North America to seize the opportunities that come with hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States ‘now,’ rather than miss out on the development prospects that come with it.
Infantino, addressing at the Milken Institute’s 25th Global Conference in Los Angeles, said the FIFA World Cup 2026 gives a rare chance to highlight the continent’s untapped potential – and to remind girls and boys of all abilities that football is the world’s most accessible sport.
Asked if football can unlock its potential, particularly in the United States, Infantino responded: “We have to find other ways to touch the hearts and the emotions of people.
“I think there are different ways of doing that, and we want to use the opportunity of this FIFA World Cup coming here. The first level is really the grassroots level; it’s the access to the sport. We have to give boys and girls, children, easier access to the sport.”
During the ‘Managing the Beautiful Game’ discussion session, former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, also urged sports administrators, club owners and investors in the region to seize the momentum of interest and publicity that the tournament will certainly generate in order to help promote the game.
“We are here to start today a big, big project, which will generate not only billions of revenue for soccer in this country, but (it will realise) dreams for millions of people, not only in this country, but all over the world”, he added.
“Because whatever works here has an impact all over the world. And if we speak about the world’s number one sport, that’s what we have to do.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
