Ceremonial Ball Presented to World Cup 2026 Delegation

48 teams will compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making it the first time the tournament has included 48 participants.

On Sunday, a handover ceremony before France vs. Argentina final took place in Qatar with a diplomatic mission from each of the three 2026 World Cup hosts in attendance.

The World Cup 2026 hosts—Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico—received the ceremonial ball from His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.

The largest sports event in history was officially handed over diplomatically to representatives from the US, Mexico, and Canada. North America will host the tournament in just three and a half years.

The ball was presented to the Mexican Football Federation's president, Yon de Luisa, the Canadian Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, and the United States Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN who led a presidential delegation to the final, stated "We could not be more excited." "We are already working very hard on 2026 preparations, and we are looking forward to receiving supporters from all around the world."

The 2026 competition will be held in 16 cities, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. It will be the first time 48 teams have competed in football's championship game. In June, FIFA released the host cities.

Sheikha Alya Al Thani of Qatar, another ambassador to the UN, was told by Greenfield that the current host had "set the standards high."

"The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that the World Cup crosses all boundaries and is outstanding at bringing nations together and fostering lifelong connections," according to Sheikha Alya.

It was the first time in the history of the competition that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was held in the Middle East.

With a stunning encounter that has been hailed as the greatest tournament final of all time, Qatar concluded its World Cup campaign. Argentina defeated France 4-2 on penalties to win the championship in Qatar on Sunday night following a 3-3 stalemate and a penalty shootout.

Messi led Argentina to victory at the World Cup, matching Maradona's achievements from 1986. Two times, in 1978 and 1986, Argentina has previously claimed the World Cup.