Exceeded all expectations....

Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), described the 2026 edition as 'the greatest FIFA World Cup in history,' during a reception held at Trump Tower in New York City, praising the major role played by the United States in making the tournament an unprecedented success.

Infantino said, 'This World Cup has exceeded all expectations. It is not only the greatest World Cup in history, but also the greatest human, social, and cultural event the world has ever witnessed, and we are all part of it. For that, I thank you, Mr. President.'

The FIFA President expressed his great delight with the recorded figures ahead of the final match between Argentina and Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium, pointing to 'seven million people in the stadiums and ten million on the streets of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and billions in front of television screens.'

The tournament broke all possible records, with total stadium attendance reaching 6,665,000 fans, a figure surpassing the combined attendance of the 2018 and 2022 editions (6,436,000 fans), breaking the previous record of the 1994 United States edition of 3,587,000 fans, with an average attendance of 65,351 fans per match and stadium occupancy reaching 99.7%.

For his part, US President Donald Trump shared this enthusiasm, saying, 'This is the biggest sporting event, certainly in the entire history of the world. It is impressive.'

Trump added that the tournament, which included 16 additional teams, is 'an unprecedented competition, full of excitement and unforgettable moments. It truly united the world,' expecting the tournament to achieve the highest viewership in history across all sports, reaching '6 billion viewers' by the final whistle.

Trump concluded by saying, 'I would like to congratulate all the teams that participated in the 2026 World Cup, a sporting event that will go down in history.'