The North American World Cup in 2026

This book presents original scholarship on the FIFA World Cup 2026, a historic milestone as the first joint North American World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 2026 tournament introduces unprecedented challenges, being the first World Cup coordinated across three sovereign states and the first to feature 48 participating national teams.

This volume examines the multifaceted dimensions of the World Cup through historical, political, economic, cultural, religious, security, and identity-based perspectives. Each contribution includes a dedicated section reflecting on how the topic impacts the 2026 World Cup specifically. Authors employ diverse conceptual and theoretical frameworks, including soccer as a geopolitical phenomenon, international relations theories, and the sport's connections to various identities—from nationalism and hooliganism to left-wing and gender-based movements. The book explores soccer discourses and addresses critical issues such as governance, peace and conflict resolution, as well as previously underexamined topics including organized crime, human rights, diplomacy, environmental concerns, and Green-based identities. Through varied case studies and analytical approaches, this book provides readers with essential conceptual tools for understanding the 2026 FIFA World Cup within the broader context of global soccer.

This book is invaluable for students, scholars and practitioners in sports studies, international relations, political science, sociology, cultural studies, and geography. It will appeal to researchers examining mega-events, globalization, and transnational governance, as well as policymakers, sports administrators, and journalists covering global soccer. The interdisciplinary nature of the volume makes it valuable for courses on sport and society, geopolitics, identity politics, and contemporary North American studies.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.