Charlie Davies joins CBS coverage as expanded World Cup kicks off

The biggest World Cup in history opened as a continental operations test as much as a soccer tournament, with 104 matches spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Charlie Davies, the former U.S. Men’s National Team player turned CBS Sports Golazo Network analyst, joined CBS coverage as the expanded field and three-country format put North America on display from the first whistle.

FIFA confirmed a record 1,248 players representing 48 nations on June 2, underscoring the scale of the event that runs from June 11 through July 19, 2026. The new 48-team format changes the rhythm of the tournament from the start, with the opening day sending matches to more than one host nation at once rather than centering the first moments in a single venue.

That distributed opening carried immediate logistical weight. Mexico faced South Africa in Mexico City, while Korea Republic played Czechia in Guadalajara, a schedule that reflected how the tournament was built to move across borders and time zones from the outset. CBS News said fans were getting three World Cup opening ceremonies because matches were being played across 11 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, a setup that turns airports, roads, hotels and stadium operations into part of the story.

The host-city economics are equally significant. A World Cup of this size concentrates attention, spending and security demands across North America for more than five weeks, and it will pressure local transit systems, venue staff and public safety plans before the highest-profile matches arrive later in the tournament. With matches staged in 16 cities and a record field of 48 teams, the event is not just a sporting showcase but a stress test for how the region manages visitors, movement and crowd control at scale.

CBS Sports added to the opening-day spotlight with a ceremony lineup that included Shakira, Alanis Morissette and Burna Boy, a sign that FIFA and its media partners are leaning into the event’s global reach. For CBS, Davies brings a familiar American soccer voice to a tournament that starts with symbolism and logistics in equal measure, and then quickly becomes a monthlong examination of whether North America can deliver the biggest men’s World Cup ever staged.