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<\/div>\nFIFA announced the logo and branding for the 2026\u00a0World Cup\u00a0on Wednesday, with the slogan \u201cWE ARE 26\u201d.<\/p>\n
The logo is minimalist in its design, with the World Cup trophy superimposed on a white number 26 with the \u201c2\u201d stacked on top of the \u201c6\u201d. Color will eventually be added by the individual brands of the 16 host cities, 11 in the United States, two in Canada and three in Mexico. The city versions of the logo will be revealed on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWE ARE 26 is a rallying cry,\u201d said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. \u201cIt\u2019s a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: \u2018We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.<\/p>\n
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The tournament will enable each host country and participating team to write their own page in the history books of FIFA World Cups, and this unique brand is a major step on that road to 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event amounted to an unofficial kickoff for the 2026 World Cup, the first with 48 teams, and was held at Los Angeles\u2019 Griffith Observatory, allowing for attendees to take in a commanding view of the L.A. basin.<\/p>\n
Numerous soccer luminaries were in attendance, including World Cup winners Ronaldo, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Tobin Heath and Youri Djorkaeff. The game\u2019s biggest stakeholders were also on hand, including Concacaf president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani,\u00a0MLS\u00a0commissioner Don Garber, U.S. Soccer Federation CEO J.T. Batson, Mexico Football Federation head Yon De Luisa, and Canada Soccer Association interim president Charmaine Crooks.<\/p>\n
Other attendees including long-time soccer broadcast journalist Andr\u00e9s Cantor, former Mexico international Jorge Campos, former Canada international Craig Forrest, and former U.S. women\u2019s national team manager and current San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis. Former U.S. international Alexi Lalas and Telemundo host Ana Jurka emceed the event.<\/p>\n
Infantino made news recently when he stated that the biggest footballing countries in Europe were not paying enough money for the broadcast rights to this summer\u2019s Women\u2019s World Cup. During a brief availability with reporters, Infantino provided an update on the state of talks.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome discussions have taken place; have started, I have to say, at a bit of a different level,\u201d he said. \u201cSo it is moving and I think it is important to understand here where we are coming from. We are investing in the women\u2019s game. We are investing in women\u2019s football.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, that \u201caudience figures are there that are very similar to the men\u2019s game, that the sport is actually very, very entertaining and it\u2019s is fascinating and we just want that the [women\u2019s] game is respected and that the right money is paid for that because whatever is paid is going back not only a hundred per cent but 150% in developing the women\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Infantino declined to be drawn into whether the fact that Los Angeles was hosting the brand launch meant that it would host the 2026 World Cup final. \u201cOf course, Los Angeles is an important city, is one of the 16 [host] cities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut obviously it is a hub. It is an entry hub in America. It is the city where the final of the last World Cup in United States was played as well. We don\u2019t know yet where the final of this World Cup will be played. This is still up for grabs, so to say. So please send us your offers and make sure that we beef up the proposals, but Los Angeles will be one of the important cities of this World Cup, definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Montagliani added \u201cThe match schedule is being worked on as we speak\u201d and that \u201cWe\u2019re probably on version 88 because there are so many things to consider, including kickoff times, making sure the teams travel in the proper clusters, time zones, elevations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just as easy as saying who gets that game and who gets this game,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we\u2019ll continue to do that. And as we said, we\u2019ll probably have an announcement later on in the year on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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