U.S., Mexico, Canada to Host 2026 World Cup
MOSCOW (AFP) - The United States, Mexico and Canada won the right to host the 2026 World Cup after easily beating Morocco in a vote by FIFA member nations on Wednesday.
The joint North American bid received 134 of the 203 votes, while Morocco polled 65 in the ballot at a FIFA Congress held in Moscow on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.
Global football's showpiece event will return to the North American continent for the first time since 1994 when the United States hosted the tournament.
Bid leader Carlos Cordeiro said his team was "humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid" and his tournament had an opportunity to put football "on a new and sustainable path for generations to come."
It will be the first World Cup to be expanded to 48 teams, posing an enormous logistical challenge for the hosts.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was believed to have strongly backed the North American bid behind the scenes because the trio of countries involved backed him in 2016 when he took over after the corruption-tainted reign of Sepp Blatter.
Delegates had been faced with a clear choice in the 2026 vote.
The joint North American bid boasted modern, established stadiums and well-developed transport links underpinned by Mexican football fervor.
Morocco, on the other hand, promised a "European" World Cup in Africa, playing on its proximity to Europe and an appeal to take the tournament back to the African continent for just the second time.
*********Sunil Gulati President of United States Soccer Federation (C) poses for a picture next to Victor Montagliani CONCACAF President (L) and Decio de Maria President of the Mexican Football Federation (R) after announcing the next soccer 2026 World Cup.
The joint North American bid received 134 of the 203 votes, while Morocco polled 65 in the ballot at a FIFA Congress held in Moscow on the eve of the 2018 World Cup.
Global football's showpiece event will return to the North American continent for the first time since 1994 when the United States hosted the tournament.
Bid leader Carlos Cordeiro said his team was "humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid" and his tournament had an opportunity to put football "on a new and sustainable path for generations to come."
It will be the first World Cup to be expanded to 48 teams, posing an enormous logistical challenge for the hosts.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was believed to have strongly backed the North American bid behind the scenes because the trio of countries involved backed him in 2016 when he took over after the corruption-tainted reign of Sepp Blatter.
Delegates had been faced with a clear choice in the 2026 vote.
The joint North American bid boasted modern, established stadiums and well-developed transport links underpinned by Mexican football fervor.
Morocco, on the other hand, promised a "European" World Cup in Africa, playing on its proximity to Europe and an appeal to take the tournament back to the African continent for just the second time.
*********Sunil Gulati President of United States Soccer Federation (C) poses for a picture next to Victor Montagliani CONCACAF President (L) and Decio de Maria President of the Mexican Football Federation (R) after announcing the next soccer 2026 World Cup.