FIFA World Cup 2026: When asked to select between Pele and Diego Maradona during the US/Mexico/Canada 2026 World Cup presentation—which will see the final place in New York/New Jersey—FIFA President Gianni Infantino had a moment of awkwardness. Brazil vs Argentina. Infantino showed fast thinking and deft decision-making to sidestep a difficult situation by selecting the two iconic players and international football icons rather than taking a chance.
Though he was prepared for inquiries regarding the World Cup, which is now just two years away, he was taken aback by the subject and skillfully handled it to stay firmly on the fence. The question “If you had to pick an all-star team, who would you pick first, Maradona or Pele?” was posed to him by Fox Sports anchor Jenny Taft.
Without hesitating, the FIFA official said, “I would put Pele on the right and Diego Maradona on the left, sharing the attack.”
FIFA World Cup 2026
He announced that the World Cup final of the next year will take place in New York City or New Jersey in the same programme. A gold medal match that “will unite the world” and make for a “epic” final.
His claims that “New York and New Jersey are celebrating now” because they had won “the most important match in the history of football” followed FIFA’s announcement of the tournament’s fixture schedule on Sunday, February 4.
The next globe Cup final, which will take place on July 19, 2026, he emphasised, would be “epic,” “unique,” and “will unite the world” since it will feature 48 countries and be hosted by two cities that represent more than 200 different cultures.
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He also mentioned Mexico, noting that the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where the opening game will be held, has already played host to the FIFA World Cup final stages in 1970 and 1986. In those years, Pele and Maradona, respectively, were the protagonists of some of the most memorable soccer matches in history.
He also mentioned how Canada has hosted FIFA events in the past, such as the Women’s World Cup in 2015, and mentioned that both Vancouver and Toronto, the two host cities, are soccer-loving towns. He concluded by saying, “I am very proud and happy that Canada will be part of this incredible World Cup.”
