15 Dec CONCACAF Nation Likely to Win 2026 World Cup Bid
A World Cup in the United States?
This looks very likely considering that both European and Asian countries are out of the running for the 2026 bid.
The U.S. looks like the clear favorite to host the tournament considering that they boast some of the best infrastructure, financial stability, and population to ensure a successful, lucrative World Cup in 2026.
However, with U.S. disapproval and frustration over current FIFA regulations and leadership, it is unclear if they will even submit a bid.
Mexico, which hosted the Cup in ’70 and ’86, is determined to host it’s third World Cup, and says they will put up a good fight, should the U.S. choose to bid.
“[Mexico] deserves a third World Cup, so the competition is going to be good. We’re going to have Canada, the United States and Mexico giving it their all,” says Mexican federation president Justino Compean, “Obviously, from 1986 to 2026, it’s a lot of years — 40 years — and so yes, we have the right to raise our hand, and we will have the stadiums.”
Mexico is slated to host the 2016 FIFA World Congress, during which Mexico plans to “show the other face of Mexico” to prove that they are ready to host in 2026.
But what about the U.S? Obviously, we would all love to bring the World Cup to the “land of the free” in 2026, and there are a lot of reasons why the U.S. is the best bet:
1) No one in Europe or Asia [or Australia] can bid.
Because of 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar, and the fact that Australia is part of the AFC, none of these nations can bid for the 2026 Cup.
2) Africa needs infrastructure.
While Africa is a viable option, considering the continent has only hosted one World Cup, the amount of infrastructure African nations would need to host would require a significant investment.
3) South America has bigger plans.
While Colombia has expressed interest in a potential bid for 2026, CONMEBOL has bigger plans for a joint-hosting of the 2030 World Cup in Uruguay and Argentina, which won’t happen if any South American nation wins the bid in 2026.
4) It will have been 32 years since we last hosted—we are ready.
We successfully hosted in 1994, and soccer is becoming increasingly more popular in the USA.
With a strong team, we will not only be a good host, but we will be strong competitors. We have the infrastructure. We have the fan base. We have the finances. And hosting a World Cup would only further strengthen a passion for soccer in the U.S.
It’s clear that if the U.S. does decide to put in a bid, we look likely to win.
Even more interesting would be a potential joint-hosting between Mexico and the U.S. which would draw an incredible amount of soccer-fanatics from both host nations to make for an unforgettable tournament.
What nation do you think will win the 2026 bid? Do you think the U.S. is a sure-fire winner? What about Mexico? Or do you think FIFA will surprise us all and decide against a CONCACAF nation hosting the cup?
It’s still early in the bidding process, so at this point, anything is possible.
Information sourced from:
