Federation president: Mexico 'in the hunt' to host 2026 World Cup
Forty years after hosting the World Cup, Mexico is aiming to land another.
Decio de Maria, president of Mexico Football Federation, confirmed it's "in the hunt" to secure a bid for the 2026 showcase event, according to ESPN.
The FIFA Council discouraged European and Asian countries from entering the bidding process earlier in the month, after Russia and Qatar won the right to put on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
That decision piqued the interest of soccer officials in the United States and Canada, but Mexico is also in the mix.
Related: North America on alert as Europe, Asia urged not to bid for 2026 World Cup
There's potential for a joint bid between the three North American nations, but FIFA's yet to confirm it would allow one for future events.
De Maria presented a case for the 2026 competition to his federation, and it was well received.
"I don't know (whether we would pursue a joint bid) but the rules are already open to it," he said. "What was agreed upon makes the path perfectly clear.
"Mexico will be in the hunt to host the 2026 World Cup."
Plans to expand the tournament to 40 teams could take hold by then if FIFA president Gianni Infantino has his way. The Swiss-Italian lawyer has championed the change since succeeding Sepp Blatter as world football's commander-in-chief.
The last time Mexico carried the quadrennial tournament was 1986, when Diego Maradona's Argentina prevailed to win its second world title.