World Cup Comment: A good start for hosts USA, Canada and Mexico is a real boost for World Cup

This summer, for the first but not the last time, there are three of them, testing that mantra. But already Mexico, Canada and the United States of America have got their first win on the board, and are a long way towards qualifying.

When a World Cup gets to the business end – the last eight, maybe in this bloated format the last 16 – things look after themselves. The best play the best, the stakes could not be higher and if the jeopardy freezes some games into stasis, it at least keeps excitement levels high.

But when the competition is still searching for momentum, it needs a bit of local enthusiasm. Never has that been more true than in this overkill World Cup of 48 teams playing 72 group matches with nearly twice as many teams qualifying for the knockout stages as not.

In Mexico it comes guaranteed. With all the sporting competition in the other two countries, less so.

Mexico were the first qualifiers for the last 32, a little over 24 hours after England's first game finished. A draw and a 6-0 thrashing of Qatar means Jesse Marsch's Canada are as good as there and even before playing Australia on Friday, the USA's 4-1 win over Paraguay – not to mention the manner of it – meant they were already looking good to progress.

It matters.

Not since France in 1998 has a host won the World Cup but South Africa and Qatar are the only ones knocked out in the first round, and Bafana Bafana beat France in 2010. In fairness, the quality and storyline of the Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappe final should ensure history looks more favourably on 2022 but a bit of local interest goes a long way.

It is particularly important in this competition where hostility from the main hosts towards visitors has been alarming. Fortunately – and ironically given the attitude of the orange man in the White House – America is the country more than any other built on rich and diverse immigration, so no matter what the wannabe dictator tries to do about it, all 48 competing countries have their own ex-pat fanbase in situ.

But the justification for taking the World Cup to footballing outposts has to be about growing the game, which is why FIFA's restrictive ticket prices have been so depressing.

It was the reason for bringing it to America in 1994, and much as we on this side of the Atlantic like to look down on their soccerballers, and although it is still not and perhaps never will be the number one sport over there, the US is now a bona fide football nation.

Like musicians, actors and comedians, America is the market everyone wants to crack, and the signs are football's missionary work there is paying off.

As someone with a brother who has lived there more than quarter of a century and who has made a living out of junior development for almost all of that time, I can testify to the popularity of football among the young demographic where any sport has to grow – the age group largely priced off Premier League terraces in this country.

John Harkes – the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder who also works in youth development, but in Virginia – recently told The Yorkshire Post about the huge growth in the game since he pulled his cleats on for the USA in '94.

Ice hockey-mad Canada, though, is a different matter and after the depressing red gaps in the stands for their opening-game draw with Bosnia Herzegovina, it was heartening to see their former Leeds United coach, Marsch, struggling to make himself heard in his post-match television interview following Thursday/Friday's win.

Given what they said previously about matches being sold out, anything from FIFA's propaganda department needs handling with care, but their proud boasts of "fan festivals" hitting the 2m visitor mark during the opening round of matches are encouraging. Mexico have led the way, but the other two seem to have pulled their weight.

The atmosphere around host cities, as much as beyond the turnstiles, is an important part of any major tournament, which is why getting the locals on board is so important. Being able to import thirsty Scots and colourful Dutch does no harm either.

Maybe if Mexico beat England at the Azteca on July 5 to set up their first quarter-final since they last hosted in 1986, we in this country might not look on home success in quite such a kindly way but with all the baggage that has come with it, the 2026 World Cup probably needs it more than any edition.