The World Cup is well underway as fans from countries all over the world visit North America for the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Soccer has always been entrenched in the culture of Mexico, which is hosting the event for the third time. It is the second time the U.S. will host, getting its first taste 32 years ago. For Canada, however, this is the first time hosting.
So how has it been received across the three nations?
Hosting 11 World Cup sites compared to Mexico’s three and Canada’s two, the U.S. naturally received more fanfare in terms of attendance and viewership combined. But which fan environments are the best?
Mexico fans at World Cup opener
Mexico’s World Cup opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City saw a raucous crowd celebrating the event’s return after 40 years. The sellout crowd created a festive atmosphere, as fans were decked out in their Mexico gear with sombreros, skeleton face paint and luchador masks.
Hours before the match ever started, more than 80,000 fans packed the legendary stadium as they awaited the opening ceremony.
The buildup showed as the venue featured a sombrero toss where fans were given card sombreros to toss from the stands, creating a dazzling effect. The toss won’t happen at every event, preserved only for prestigious games.
The roaring crowd was heard all throughout the game and never seemed to let up as Mexico dominated South Africa during a 2-0 victory.
But the festivities didn’t end there.
After the World Cup victory, one fan may have said it best.
“This is why you come to Mexico City for a World Cup game,” he said.
The video showed Mexico fans celebrating in the rainy streets, chanting, honking horns, and jumping up and down as they showed their jubilation following the triumphant victory.
Another video showed Mexico fans tossing a South Korean fan in the air, claiming some fans are naming Mexico as the best host location.
Mexico faces South Korea Thursday at 7 p.m. MDT.
U.S. fans at World Cup opener
Hosting the vast majority of World Cup games by the end of group play, the U.S. is expected to surpass the current attendance record previously set at 3.5 million by the U.S. in 1994. The increase in attendance is likely due to increased stadium capacity, greater media coverage in the U.S. and double the amount of teams (48) compared to its last time hosting (24). The U.S. alone will host 52 games before the knockout round starts, the same number the ’94 event had in total.
We know the U.S. shows up, but do they celebrate as hard as other countries do for soccer? New York showed how much basketball means to them, but can they get up for the most popular sport in the world?
One video showed fans decked out in gear, chanting and marching hours ahead of the match’s start. While the numbers appear to be large, it was mellow compared to Mexico City.
Like Mexico, it wasn’t long before the host country got on the scoreboard. The sold-out crowd erupted as team star Christian Pulisic set up goal by splitting a double team as it bounced into the net off a Paraguay player seven minutes into the match.
The U.S. would win 4-1 with a brace from Folarin Balogun in the first half, as ecstatic fans celebrated during watch parties in different parts of the country.
The U.S. plays Australia Friday at 1 p.m. MDT.
Canada’s first World Cup
Much like the U.S., soccer in Canada has grown dramatically over the decades, and this year the country got to see its very first World Cup games on Canadian soil.
The hockey-loving country filled the streets of Toronto ahead of its opening match, walking the street, filling it with smoke and chants.
The match was not sold out, but it came close, just 34 seats shy of the 43,036 capacity stadium.
Going down 1-0 in the first half of its match with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the crowd may have been losing hope toward the end of Canada’s match. But saving the day and causing the crowd to explode was Cyle Larin when he scored the equalizer in the 78th minute, preserving a point in group play.
Larin is just the second player ever to score a goal for Canada at a World Cup.
Here was the reaction from a Vancouver fan fest:
Only scoring three goals in three World Cup appearances, Canada has never advanced to the knockout round. But fans still believe the team can get it done this time.
“Hoping again we could have gone home with a ‘W’ but happy with a tie, I think it’s a point, and I think we played the best that we could’ve done,” fan Noah Trotman said while at a Toronto fan fest, per The Canadian Press.
Canada matches up with Qatar Thursday at 4 p.m. MDT.
Scenes from the street
It’s not just North Americans at the World Cup. Plenty of countries have been well represented on the streets, like a “Viking escalator row” featuring Norway fans.
The Dutch have been representing in orange.
Brazil fans have been celebrating in Times Square.
And fans have been supporting Lionel Messi and Argentina in Kansas City.