March 30 – FIFA will announce the host country for the 2026 World Cup nine years earlier in May 2017, with the United States, Mexico and Canada all considered possible contenders.
CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has said on numerous occasions that he believes it would be the confederation’s turn which is probably right if the rotation system was to be employed, especially having lost out to Qatar for 2022.
Fox has already been awarded broadcasting rights to the tournament but whether that would favour a US bid is open to question since the rights would be worth a lot more if put out to tender nearer the time.
Although China are keen to stage, Asia would be ineligible in 2026 because of Qatar hosting four years previously.
FIFA’s executive committee is expected to approve the regulations for the bidding process at its next meeting in May and FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke promised rigorous scrutiny of bidders after the spate of allegations surrounding candidates in the 2018 and 2022 contests. “These regulations will reach the level of transparency from the first minute of the process to the decision,” he said.
Under new rules as part of FIFA’s reform process, the hosts will be chosen by the 209 member associations of FIFA rather than just the executive committee.
“Thirty-two years is a long time,” Webb told The Associated Press referring to the last time the USA staged the tournament in 1994. “I believe it is CONCACAF’s time. Really, the only (other) countries with legitimate claims would be African countries.”
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