MOSCOW: A joint bid from the United States, Mexico and Canada expectedly won the rights to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, defeating the challenge from north African nation Morocco by a vote of 134-65.
With the vote concluded, the World Cup returns to North America for the first time since 1994.hosting
Wednesday’s vote was the first in which each FIFA member association was given a say on where the World Cup would be held, and the North Americans rode to victory on a wave of support from the Americas, Europe and Asia, plus a few votes from Africa.
It bears noting that victory was always on the cards for the North American bid on a pledge of record crowds and a record $11 billion in profits for FIFA from the expanded 48-team, 80-match tournament in 2026; more than twice what Morocco could promise.
It is worth recalling also that the 1994 World Cup had set attendance records that still stands with nearly 3.6 million spectators (for only 52 matches).
As The Guardian noted: “The US is one of the few countries on the planet with enough world-class stadiums, airports, hotels and training facilities to host the World Cup tomorrow if it needed to – and it’s no surprise that Fifa’s member federations voted the way they did.”
“Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport,” US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro said in a release distributed immediately after the result was announced. “We are humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid; strengthened by the unity between our three countries and the Concacaf region; and excited by the opportunity we have to put football on a new and sustainable path for generations to come.”
“We are grateful for the chance to bring to life FIFA’s new vision for the future of football,” said Decio de María, president of the Mexico Football Federation. “Together – in partnership with our candidate host cities, the member associations, and FIFA – we will use this platform to unite the world around football and help create a new and sustainable blueprint for the future of FIFA World Cups.”
“Hosting a FIFA World Cup is an extraordinary honor and privilege,” said Steven Reed, president of Canada Soccer. “Canada, Mexico, and the United States are ready to welcome the world to North America and serve as stewards of the largest FIFA World Cup in history. Our vision is of a world of opportunity for our candidate host cities and for the global football community.”
It will be the first time the World Cup is hosted by three countries, but a vast majority of the tournament will be on United States soil. Of the 80 matches, 10 will be held in Canada, 10 in Mexico and 60 in the United States — including the final, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The last time the men’s World Cup was in North America was when the United States hosted in 1994. It was held in Mexico in 1970 and 1986, and Canada has never hosted.
