The United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States was selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier today by the 68th听FIFA Congress in Moscow. For the first time in history, FIFA鈥檚 Member Associations were given the opportunity to vote on the host for the FIFA World Cup.听
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Today鈥檚 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. The United Bid offers FIFA and its 211 Member Associations unity, certainty, and opportunity as they prepare to host the largest FIFA World Cup鈩� in history, which will be expanded to a 48-team format.
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鈥淗osting a FIFA World Cup鈩� is an extraordinary honor and privilege,鈥� said Steven Reed, President of Canada Soccer and Co-Chair of the United Bid. 鈥淐anada, 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.鈥�
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鈥淲e are grateful for the chance to bring to life FIFA鈥檚 new vision for the future of football,鈥� said Decio de Maria, President of Mexico Football Federation and Co-Chair of the United Bid. 鈥淭ogether鈥攊n partnership with our Candidate Host Cities, the Member Associations, and FIFA鈥攚e 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.鈥�
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鈥淗osting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport,鈥� said Carlos Cordeiro, President of U.S. Soccer and Co-Chair of the United Bid. 鈥榃e 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.鈥�
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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.
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Each of the United Bid鈥檚 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 Bid is further expected to generate $5 billion in economic impact for the 16 Host Cities that will be selected.
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