The USA, Canada, and Mexico all made an impression at the 2026 World Cup .
Hosting the World Cup is always a source of immense pride for any nation. Host countries typically spend billions of dollars developing infrastructure, building new or upgrading stadiums, and improving facilities to serve the biggest football tournament on the planet. In return, they reap significant economic benefits thanks to the millions of football fans from all over the world who flock to the tournament.
Historically, hosting the World Cup has often brought advantages on the field, from automatic qualification to the fervent support of the home crowd. However, these advantages also come with immense pressure, as the expectations of domestic fans are always high.
Some host teams have shone brightly in the spotlight, but others have failed to live up to expectations. To date, only South Africa in 2010 and Qatar in 2022 are two host nations that failed to advance beyond the group stage.
In the early decades of the World Cup, host nations often exerted a significant influence on the final outcome of the tournament. In the first 11 World Cups, from 1930 to 1978, five host nations were crowned champions: Uruguay (1930), Italy (1934), England (1966), West Germany (1974), and Argentina (1978).
Brazil also reached the final on home soil in 1950 before suffering a painful defeat to Uruguay at the legendary Maracano Stadium. Meanwhile, Sweden also had a memorable journey to the final in 1958 before losing to Brazil 2-5.
However, this trend has changed significantly in the last four decades. France's 1998 victory remains the only time a host nation has won the title during this period. Since then, no other host nation has reached the final.
When the United States, Canada, and Mexico were awarded the right to host the 2026 World Cup, many believed that this statistical streak would continue, especially considering the standing of these three teams on the world football map. However, all three entered the tournament with a realistic chance of surpassing their own best performances.
The US reached the round of 16 when they hosted the 1994 World Cup, while third place in their inaugural World Cup in 1930 remains their best performance in history.
Mexico, the host nation of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, reached the quarter-finals on both occasions. This remains their best performance at the world's biggest football tournament. However, since then Mexico has never advanced beyond the round of 16, and was even eliminated in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup.
For Canada, the challenge is even greater. Prior to 2026, they had only participated in two World Cups, in 1986 and 2022, and lost all six group stage matches in those two tournaments.
However, after the first two rounds of matches at this year's World Cup, all three host nations have delivered impressive performances. They remain undefeated and have won 5 out of 6 matches played – a feat that few predicted before the tournament began.
Mexico and the United States even became the first teams to qualify for the knockout round after winning both of their opening matches. Canada is also almost certain to advance, having earned 4 points from two matches and currently leading Group B.
Of the three host nations, Mexico was the most highly anticipated, and they are fully living up to those expectations. They started with a 2-0 victory over South Africa, then beat South Korea 1-0 to become the first team to qualify for the Round of 32 of the 48-team World Cup.
Mexico's solid defense is undoubtedly a major strength, while Julian Quinones, Raul Jimenez, and Luis Romo have all scored, providing the team with numerous attacking options ahead.
However, the US was the most impressive team among the host nations.
Mauricio Pochettino's team dominated both matches in Group D, beating Paraguay 4-1 before overcoming Australia 2-0 to secure early qualification.
Despite the absence of star player Christian Pulisic in the match against Australia due to injury, the US team still showed impressive squad depth. Striker Folarin Balogun scored two goals against Paraguay, while the US team also benefited from an own goal in each match to quickly take the initiative.
Meanwhile, Canada is experiencing a historic World Cup campaign.
A 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina gave them their first ever points in World Cup history. Shortly afterwards, Canada caused a sensation with a 6-0 victory over Qatar, securing their first win at the biggest football tournament on the planet.
Striker Jonathan David scored a hat-trick, becoming the first player outside of Europe and South America to achieve this feat at a World Cup. The 6-0 victory was also the biggest win in history by a CONCACAF team at the World Cup.
Before the tournament began, expectations for the home teams weren't very high. But with each match, they are proving that they are more than just there to host the tournament.
Their impressive performances show that, while not yet considered top contenders for the championship, they are fully capable of surpassing their own historical milestones. Canada has already done it, and Mexico and the United States also have a great opportunity to break previous records.
And if that's the case, why can't they go even further?
If the current momentum continues, the world of football could very well witness a memorable new chapter in World Cup history in the coming weeks.
Source: https://danviet.vn/world-cup-2026-san-choi-cua-chu-nha-d1437037.html
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