Infantino: The World Cup exceeds expectations.

Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), described the 2026 edition as "the greatest World Cup in history" during a reception held at Trump Tower in New York City, praising the significant role the United States played in the unprecedented success of the tournament.

Infantino said: "This World Cup has exceeded all expectations. It is not only the greatest World Cup in history, but it is also the greatest humanitarian, 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 happiness with the numbers recorded before the final match between Argentina and Spain at the New York-New Jersey stadium, noting that there were "seven million people in the stadiums and ten million in the streets of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and billions in front of television screens."

The tournament broke all possible records, with total attendance in the stadiums reaching six million and 665 thousand fans, a figure that surpasses the total attendance of the 2018 and 2022 editions combined (six million and 436 thousand fans), breaking the previous record of the 1994 edition in the United States, which was three million and 587 thousand fans, with an average attendance of 65 thousand and 351 fans per match, and a stadium occupancy rate of 99.7%.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump shared this enthusiasm, saying: "This is the biggest sporting event, certainly in the entire history of the world. It is truly impressive."

Trump added that the tournament, which included 16 additional teams, is "an unprecedented competition, filled with excitement and unforgettable moments. It has truly united the world," predicting that the tournament would record the highest viewership in history across various sports, reaching "6 billion viewers" by the final whistle.

Trump concluded his remarks 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."