Joint bid for 2026 World Cup would see U.S. host 60 of 80 matches
Three quarters of the matches at the 2026 World Cup would be hosted in the United States, according to the country's soccer federation president Sunil Gulati during Monday's joint bid announcement with Canada and Mexico.
Gulati confirmed that 60 matches would take place in the U.S., while Canada and Mexico would host 10 matches each. He added that all matches from the quarter-final stage onward would take place in the U.S.
Related: U.S., Mexico, Canada confirm joint bid for 2026 World Cup
If the bid succeeds, Gulati says world soccer governing body FIFA will ultimately have the final say over the number of matches played in each host nation.
"Final decision is up to FIFA, but of the 80 World Cup games, 60 would be played in the U.S., including from quarterfinals on," he said.
Related: 3 iconic World Cup matches played on North American soil
With reports that Qatar is spending roughly $500 million a week on stadiums and infrastructure projects ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Gulati insists that current infrastructure will help limit planning costs.
"We're not going to spend the sorts of money that others have," Gulati told reporters. "Infrastructure that is in place is a far better solution."
FIFA is expected to evaluate bids between January 2019 - February 2020 before announcing the host(s) of the 2026 World Cup in May 2020.