The North American bid of the United States, Canada and Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup finals after winning the FIFA vote ahead of Morocco on Wednesday in Moscow.
The joint bid had been the front-runner for the 48-team tournament from the moment a North American coalition was first mooted two years ago, and there have been spells when it has looked like the only credible candidate.
But Morocco, bidding for a fifth time, had closed the gap on ‘United 2026’ to the point that nobody in Moscow wanted to make a public prediction ahead of the vote at the FIFA Congress, where 207 member associations, minus the four bidding nations, cast ballots.
210 members were present with 203 members entitled to vote. The US, Mexico and Canada received 134 votes (67 percent) with the Morocco bid earning 65 votes.
“It’s a bit emotional for us today,” US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro told FIFA congress.
“Thank you so, so very much for this incredible honour. Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
“The beautiful game transcends borders and cultures. Football today is the only victor. And in that spirit we wish all Russian hosts and all the teams competing here the very best of luck.”
