/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60046245/972979336.jpg.0.jpg)
The World Cup doesn’t start until tomorrow, but there’s already so much going on.
USA/Mexico/Canada to host 2026 Tournament
After the heartbreak of not being selected to host in 2022, the United States has now won the rights to host the 2026 World Cup. That edition of the tournament will be hosted jointly by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Here are the list of cities that are set to host games when 2026 rolls around.
From Edmonton to Mexico City and everywhere in between, we are united.
— United 2026 (@united2026) June 12, 2018
| #United2026 pic.twitter.com/1aJu4VknSU
This means that these three host countries will automatically qualify for the 2026 tournament, which will supposedly have an expanded field of teams. It seems unlikely that Christian Pulisic will still be on Borussia Dortmund in 8 years, but you never know. He’ll be 27-years-old when this tournament is scheduled to kick-off.
Who knows what things will look like then, but it will certainly be more fun than Qatar 2022.
Spain fire Lopetegui
It sort of came out of the blue when Real Madrid announced Jules Lopetegui as their new manager yesterday. Lopetegui had just signed a new deal extending his contract with the Spanish national team. The Spanish footballing association wasn’t happy with the news of his move to Madrid, and now they have shockingly fired him just a day before the World Cup is set to start.
BREAKING: Spain announce they have fired Julen Lopetegui two days before the team's first game at the FIFA World Cup. pic.twitter.com/2W3NEDU4Yl
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 13, 2018
Spain were one of my favorites for the tournament, but now I have to go and reassess. They will be managed instead by Fernando Hierro, who had previously been their sporting director.
And we haven’t even gotten to the football yet!