On the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ final, FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed Member Association executives in New York, declaring that Sunday's showpiece between Spain and Argentina would bring the curtain down on what he described as the most remarkable sporting event in the history of humanity.

"The entire world will be watching," Infantino told guests at a breakfast event in New York City on Saturday. "Not only because they want to know who is winning the World Cup — but because this FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been the most incredible event in human history. Not just the biggest World Cup, it has been the greatest sporting, social and cultural event in humanity."

Records shattered across the board

The first 48-team edition of the FIFA World Cup™ broke records at every turn. More than 6.6 million fans attended matches across the 16 host venues through the semi-finals — more than double the 3.6 million recorded at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, and greater than the combined attendance of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Stadiums operated at a 99.7 percent capacity — itself an all-time record.

Beyond the stadiums, over 8.5 million people visited official FIFA Fan Festivals across the three host nations. FIFA's digital and social media platforms registered 34 billion impressions and 2 billion engagements up to the end of the quarter-finals. By the conclusion of the round of 16 alone, an estimated 5.2 billion people — nearly two-thirds of the global population — had engaged with the tournament at least once.

Expansion vindicated on the pitch

Infantino was emphatic that expanding the tournament to 48 teams had strengthened, not diluted, the competition. The goals-per-game average climbed to 2.91, up from 2.69 at the previous edition, and 14 matches between the round of 32 and the semi-finals featured a result-changing goal after the 85th minute.

All four FIFA World Cup debutants — Cabo Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan — scored at least one goal. Forty-two of the 48 teams earned at least one point, representing all six continental confederations. Seven nations reached the knockout stage for the first time: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Canada, Congo DR, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, and South Africa.

"So much for those who were saying that 48 teams is diluting the quality of the World Cup," Infantino said. "It has actually made it much, much stronger. Our idea was not just to increase to 48 teams in order to have more matches — it was to change the game. It was to make football truly global."

Silencing the critics

Infantino acknowledged that the tournament had faced significant pre-tournament scepticism — over visa processes, venue readiness, and the competitive level of newly qualified sides. He said every concern had been proven wrong. "We silenced all the critics," he said. "The power of the game, the magic of the game, took over. Soccer conquered America and America has become now a soccer country."

The tournament required the efforts of approximately 5,000 staffers, nearly 50,000 volunteers, and 300,000 accredited personnel operating across 16 host cities and 646 official tournament sites. Infantino offered his thanks to US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for what he called their "incredible, fantastic support," as well as to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and his team.

With Spain and Argentina set to meet at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, Infantino made clear that regardless of which nation lifts the trophy — whether Argentina claim a fourth star or Spain their second — the tournament's legacy is already secure.