The United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the USA was selected to host the 2026 World Cup earlier today by the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow. For the first time in history, FIFA’s Member Associations were given the opportunity to vote on the host for the World Cup. They did so by a vote of 134 to 65.
Vote
Today’s vote, which occurred a day before the start of the 2018 tournament in Russia, also marks the first time three nations have been selected to co-host a World Cup and the first time it will be played in North America in 32 years. and will be expanded to a 48-team format for the first time.
“Hosting a World Cup is an extraordinary honor and privilege,” said Steven Reed, President of Canada Soccer and Co-Chair of the United Bid. “Canada, Mexico, and the United States are ready to welcome the world to North America and serve as stewards of the largest World Cup in history. Our vision is of a world of opportunity for our Candidate Host Cities and for the global football community.”
“We are grateful for the chance to bring to life FIFA’s new vision for the future of football,” said Decio de Maria, President of Mexico Football Federation and Co-Chair of the United Bid. “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.”
Carlos Cordeiro
“Hosting the 2026 World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport,” said Carlos Cordeiro, President of U.S. Soccer and Co-Chair of the United Bid. ‘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.”
The three nations will jointly manage preparations for the 2026 World Cup until FIFA establishes their operations to manage the competition. Among other decisions, FIFA will make the final selection of host cities from the 23 candidates proposed in the United Bid.
Each of the United Bid’s 23 proposed stadiums are fully built, occupied, and operational, ensuring long-term use following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In addition, the United Bid has 150 existing world-class training facilities, millions of hotel rooms, and advanced infrastructure. The United Bid is expected to generate more than $14 billion in revenue and $11 billion in profits for FIFA.
