Diego Maradona's prediction about the 2026 World Cup that went viral during the World Cup

In the midst of the 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, an old interview with Diego Armando Maradona has resurfaced on social media. The statements made by the world champion with the Argentine National Team in 1986, given in 2018 after the shared venue of the tournament was confirmed, have come back into focus due to the ongoing competition and some of the new measures implemented by FIFA.

During a conversation with Víctor Hugo Morales, Maradona expressed his disagreement with the choice of the three countries as hosts of the World Cup. The former footballer particularly questioned the footballing tradition of some of the organizers and focused on Canada.

"I don't like it. There is no passion. Canadians may be good skiers and everything they want," he stated back then, in a phrase that has been widely circulated again during the tournament.

In that same interview, the "Ten" expressed his concern about the growing influence of commercial aspects in international football and directed criticism at the United States.

As he recalled, there was an intention to modify the traditional format of matches to increase the spaces allocated for advertising. "Americans wanted to make four quarters of 25 minutes. We would end up playing a hundred minutes," he maintained.

Although that modification was never implemented, his words have been mentioned again due to the mandatory breaks for high temperatures that FIFA applies during several matches of the 2026 World Cup, a measure that has sparked debate among players, coaches, and fans.

Another fragment that has circulated again was his opinion on the performance of the Mexican national team in the World Cups. Maradona believed that being a host could benefit their journey in the tournament, although he doubted their chances against the main powers.

"This is how Mexico ends up benefiting, but when they have to face teams like Brazil or Germany they get eliminated," he pointed out during that interview.