U.S., Mexico, Canada confirm joint bid for 2026 World Cup
The United States, Mexico, and Canada are partnering up to tailor a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, the Canadian Soccer Association confirmed on Monday.
Mexico is noted for hosting two of the more iconic World Cups - in 1970 and 1986 - while the United States hosted the 1994 edition. For Canada, a successful bid would mark the first time it has hosted the men's finals after staging the Women's World Cup in 2015.
(Photo courtesy: @PCarrESPN)
"Canada has proven itself as a formidable host for the world's game," said Victor Montagliani, president of both CONCACAF and the Canadian Soccer Association.
Related: 3 iconic World Cup matches played on North American soil
The announcement at the One World Observatory in New York City was hosted by 96-time United States international Alexi Lalas, and had Montagliani, United States Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, and Decio de Maria, president of the Mexican Football Federation and vice president of CONCACAF, speaking at the event.
.@POTUS is fully supportive of our unified bid for the 2026 #FIFA World Cup and especially pleased that Mexico is a part of it.
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) April 10, 2017
One contentious disclosure made by Gulati is that the proposal would have the United States hosting 60 of the 80 matches, with Mexico and Canada evenly sharing the other 20. All games from the quarter-final stage and beyond would be played only in the U.S.
Related: Joint bid for 2026 World Cup would see U.S. host 60 of 80 matches
"This is a milestone day for U.S. Soccer and for CONCACAF," Gulati said, according to ussoccer.com. "We gave careful consideration to the prospect of bidding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and ultimately feel strongly this is the right thing for our region and for our sport.
"Along with our partners from the Canadian Soccer Association and the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol, we are confident that we will submit an exemplary bid worthy of bringing the FIFA World Cup back to North America."
With the biggest matches slated for the U.S., the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, C.A. - the venue of the 1994 World Cup final - would be an immediate favorite to host 2026's showpiece if the bid is successful.
A rival bid could come in the shape of Colombia, with evaluation of the motions set for January 2019 - February 2020, and the final decision expected in May 2020, as decided by the FIFA Council last year.