With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, people in America should be super excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to host the tournament. Thousands of fans from around the world will travel to North America to watch their team compete for the trophy. Students here at Summit High School are very excited too, and will be tuned in for each match.
“The intensity of the games and the stakes are the best part for me, all the teams give everything to win,” said Summit sophomore Jacob Jenkins, a soccer fan who played on Summit’s varsity team this year.
The World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be a must-watch event for all, with millions of fans rooting for their countries in a tournament that takes place only once every four years. The opening match will be held at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Jun. 11, featuring Mexico vs South Africa, with games on almost every day after.
The World Cup has been through a lot of big format changes this year, which will benefit viewers with a total of 104 matches to watch. There will be 16 additional teams competing this year, with a total of 48 instead of the previous World Cups’ 32. These 48 teams have been placed into twelve groups of four, where they will play each team in their respective group. The top two teams, as well as eight of the best third-place teams, will then move on to the round of 32, where a loss from there will knock them out of the tournament.
“I think the new format is going to be good,” said sophomore Laird Jessup, who is excited to watch this summer. “The more matches, the better for fans.”
The group draw occurred on Dec. 5, an event that has taken place before each World Cup for decades, where we saw each team get placed in groups of four. There are still six qualifying spots to be filled, all of which have already been placed into groups. Group L with England, Ghana, Croatia and Panama looks to be the strongest group of the tournament, with Group I of France, Norway, Senegal, and a playoff spot being very strong as well.
“I think Spain is looking really good right now, they are ranked No. 1 and will be really confident going into the tournament,” said Summit sophomore Gabriel Young-Fenstermacher.
The USA has been placed in Group D with Paraguay, Australia and another playoff spot, giving them a very good chance to top the group and make a good run in the tournament. America enters the tournament ranked 14th globally. Paraguay will most likely be America’s toughest opponent in this group. The last time they played each other was on Nov. 15 when the USA won 2-1. Australia is another solid opponent ranked 26th in the world according to FIFA, the global governing body for soccer.
The World Cup will be very interesting with 48 teams competing against each other for the title of world champion. The U.S. is lucky to have it hosted in our own country, which is a good chance to get more exposure to soccer in the United States and help grow the sport in the country.
