The United States won’t be a part of 2018 World Cup in Russia, but a consolation prize came in on Wednesday when FIFA announced that the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will co-host 2026 World Cup. Their joint bid received 134 votes compared to Morocco’s 65, which was the only other country in the running for the opportunity to organize the most prestigious sports competition in the world.
“This is an incredible, and incredibly important, moment for soccer in North America and beyond,” – said the president of U.S. Soccer Carlos Cordeiro after the announcement.
2026 World Cup will be the first time that three nations will host the tournament. According to previously presented plan, 60 out of 80 games will be played in the United States, while Mexico and Canada are set to host 10 each. The final game of the 2026 World Cup will probably be played at MetLife Stadium, home of NFL teams New York Giants and New York Jets.
This will be the second time for the United States to host World Cup tournament, after previously hosting 1994 World Cup and doing a great job. Although the soccer in the U.S. was still not that popular at the time, 1994 World Cup averaged almost 69,000 spectators per game, which still stands as a World Cup record.
Mexico hosted the World Cup tournaments in 1970 and 1978, while this will be the first time to host the World Cup games for Canada.
