‘Nothing Like Playing At Home’

Mexico, meanwhile, have also been big beneficiaries of playing at home. El Tri opened the tournament with a 2–0 victory over South Africa in front of a raucous crowd and followed it with a hard-fought 1–0 win against South Korea. Those results secured top spot in Group A and made Mexico the first team to reach the knockout stage.

Just as important, finishing first guarantees that Mexico will continue playing on home soil as it enters the knockout round, preserving the atmosphere that has helped drive their early success. Mexican manager Javier Aguirre acknowledged the value of remaining in familiar surroundings.

“There’s nothing like playing at home. It’s priceless,” he said. “The Mexico factor is hugely important for us.”

The emotional impact of Mexico’s home support cannot be overstated. Every Mexico game has felt like a national celebration. The stadiums in Mexico City and Guadalajara have packed plenty of intensity. Even when performances have not been spectacular, the crowd has helped sustain momentum and created pressure on opponents.

Canada’s tournament has offered a different, but equally compelling example of home-field advantage. Entering the World Cup, Canada carried the burden of expectation after several years of rapid growth. They had also never won a World Cup game after making two previous appearances in 1986 and 2022.

Canada’s opening Group B draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina was solid rather than spectacular. They followed up that 1-1 draw with a 6-0 rout of Qatar, producing one of the most dominant performances of any team during the group stage. The victory generated enormous excitement across the country and strengthened the belief that Canada can make its deepest-ever World Cup run ever.

For Canada, being a host has also accelerated the development of soccer culture nationwide. The crowds in both Toronto and Vancouver created an atmosphere that feels dramatically different from previous tournaments in which Canada participated as a visitor. Instead of merely hoping to compete, the Canadians are playing with real confidence.

Beyond these positive results, the structure of the tournament has amplified the hosts’ advantages. FIFA ensured that each co-host would play its group-stage matches within its own country, reducing travel and allowing fans to easily follow their teams throughout the group stage.

The World Cup’s expanded 48-team format has also created more opportunities for hosts to advance, particularly with the inclusion of third-place qualification routes. However, those benefits may not be something any of these teams need in order to reach the round of 32.

The most remarkable aspect of the tournament so far is that all three hosts have delivered. Often, host nations enter the World Cup burdened by expectation and struggle under the spotlight. Not this time.

The knockout round will determine how successful this tournament becomes for the hosts. For now, the evidence is clear: Home-field advantage remains key at this World Cup.

Clemente Lisi is the author of “The World Cup: A History of the Planet’s Biggest Sporting Event, 2026 Edition.”