World Cup 2026
Six months on: what the World Cup actually left behind
The confetti is long gone. We look at attendances, infrastructure and the youth numbers that might matter most.
Six months after the final, the honest accounting has begun. Attendance records fell in every host city, and transit projects that were accelerated for the tournament are now permanent parts of three metropolitan areas.
The footballing legacy is harder to measure. Participation numbers among under-12s have jumped in all host regions, the single clearest predictor of future national-team strength.
Stadium usage is the weak point: three venues have no permanent tenant and are already cutting capacity for domestic fixtures.
The next tournament cycle will judge this World Cup, not the summer that hosted it. Early signs: the infrastructure aged well, the football was better than feared, and the youth numbers are the story nobody watched happen.