United Bid Wins – USA, Canada and Mexico to Host 2026 World Cup
The long-awaited decision is final — and one that is being celebrated across Canada, Mexico and our country — the World Cup is coming to our homes in 2026. While it is early, only hours after the televised decision, the excitement is real and the real work begins. And, we won the vote by a significant majority of 134 to 65.
Here is the press release from U.S. Soccer:
Soccer News: Soccer unites the world and bringing the World Cup to the USA is a major achievement. Will hosting these games be the lightning rod everyone wants to help finally push soccer up the popularity pyramid of American sports? Time will tell, but for now let’s celebrate each moment as we prepare to host the best World Cup ever with our neighbors to the north and south.
Following the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, during which FIFA named the host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup by a vote of 134 to 65, Canada Soccer President Steven Reed, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol President Decio De María and U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro gathered together and spoke to the media this morning to discuss the result of the vote.
“A great day for soccer in North America,” said U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro as U.S. Soccer’s 32nd President. “We see this as a great celebration of football.”
“We have always had a clear path to victory,” said Cordeiro.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the first tournament with the expanded 48-team format and require world-class facilities and infrastructure to ensure a successful tournament.
The bid itself is a great example of countries working together.
These nations wanted to work together and be stronger as a partnership of three than alone.
2026 FIFA World Cup Facts and Figures:
- Number of Teams: 48
- Number of Matches: 80
- Number of Players: +1,100
- Candidate Host Cites: 23
- Proposed Training Sites: 150
- Projected Revenue: $14 billion
- Projected Profit: $11 billion
- Projected Economic Impact: $5 billion
- Projected Ticket Sales: 5.8 million
The United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States is uniquely suited to accommodate FIFA’s high-level standards for hosting a FIFA World Cup™. Up to 16 Host Cities will be selected as venues for matches.
Canada, Mexico, and the United States also have a long and successful history as hosts – 13 FIFA World Cups™ have been hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States, five of which have set attendance records.
Today’s vote, which occurred a day before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, also marks the first time three nations have been selected to co-host a FIFA World Cup™ and the first time the FIFA World Cup™ will be played in North America in 32 years.
“Hosting a FIFA 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 FIFA 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™.”
“Hosting the 2026 FIFA 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.”
With the FIFA Congress decision to award the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, to the football federations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the three nations will jointly manage preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ until FIFA establishes their operations to manage the competition. Among other decisions, FIFA will make the final selection of host cities for the 2026 competition 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, which will be shared with the 211 FIFA Member Associations, helping further develop and expand the game of football across the globe.
The United Bid Committee was created by the football federations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to manage the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
Source:US Soccer
