The World Cup is coming to Canada, but British Columbians will have to travel if they want to see any of the action.
FIFAB次元官网网址檚 member associations voted 134 to 65, with one no-vote, Wednesday in favour of the joint North American bid by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to host the 2026 World Cup over that of Morocco at the FIFA Congress in Moscow.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.
B次元官网网址� Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments)
B次元官网网址淔ootball today is the only victor,B次元官网网址� said U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro.
The current blueprint calls for Canada and Mexico to stage 10 games each with the U.S. hosting 60. But that is not carved in stone.
Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal are Canadian candidate host cities for the menB次元官网网址檚 soccer showcase, expanded to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament.
FIFA will select up to 16 host cities from the 23 candidates proposed in the North American bid.
But Vancouver will watch from the sidelines after the B.C. government, citing concerns over the possible costs of being a host city, was unable to come to terms with the bid committee. Chicago and Minneapolis also withdrew, citing similar worries.
The mayors of two of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 host cities celebrated the early-morning announcement on Twitter. Both Valerie Plante of Montreal and John Tory of Toronto retweeted a video of the bid team reacting to the news, with Tory adding, B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址漌e won! The 2026 World Cup is coming to Canada, the U.S. & Mexico!B次元官网网址�
Morocco, which has now lost five bid campaigns, was classy in defeat B次元官网网址� congratulating the North American winners.
Mexico has twice hosted the World Cup, in 1970 and 1986. The U.S. hosted in 1994.
Canada failed in its lone previous bid B次元官网网址� to host the 1986 tournament after Colombia pulled out as host. That remains the only World Cup the Canadian men have ever qualified for.
The hosting decision likely opens the door to Canada finally returning to the menB次元官网网址檚 world stage B次元官网网址� a widely expected scenario as co-host that has yet to be officially confirmed. But with the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams in 2026, tripling the hosts would not cause as many ripples.
Officials have already talked of staging three games, one in each of the three countries, to kick off the tournament.
Steven Reed, president of the Canadian Soccer Association, called the FIFA Congress decision B次元官网网址渁n extraordinary honour and privilege.B次元官网网址�
CONCACAF, whose president B次元官网网址� Canadian Victor Montagliani B次元官网网址� played a key role in the bid, called the vote a B次元官网网址渕onumental victoryB次元官网网址� for the confederation that covers North and Central America and the Caribbean.
FIFAB次元官网网址檚 hosting selection process was revamped in the wake of recent scandals enveloping the world governing body of soccer.
All of FIFAB次元官网网址檚 211 member associations B次元官网网址� save the bidding countries B次元官网网址� were eligible to take part in the electronic vote. In the past, only members of what was then the FIFA executive committee decided via secret ballot.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called the new voting procedure a B次元官网网址渢horough, transparentB次元官网网址� process.
The two rivals bids each got 15 minutes to make one last pitch Wednesday, with the North American bid going first.
Canada turned to teenage Vancouver Whitecaps star Alphonso Davies to open its presentation.
DaviesB次元官网网址� parents fled their home in Monrovia, Liberia, to escape a civil war. They ended up at a refugee camp in Ghana, where Davies was born.
B次元官网网址淚t was a hard life. But when I was five years old, a country called Canada welcomed us in,B次元官网网址� he told the Congress. B次元官网网址淎nd the boys on the football team made me feel at home.
B次元官网网址淭oday IB次元官网网址檓 17 years old and I play for the (Canadian) menB次元官网网址檚 national team. And IB次元官网网址檓 a proud Canadian citizen. And my dream is to some day compete in the World Cup, maybe even in my home town of Edmonton.
B次元官网网址淭he people of North America have always welcomed me. If given the opportunity, I know they will welcome you,B次元官网网址� he added.
Reed called Canada a B次元官网网址済rowing football nation that proudly welcomes people from all over the world.B次元官网网址�
Good news this morning: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to Canada, the US and Mexico. Congratulations to everyone who worked hard on this bid B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 going to be a great tournament! 馃嚚馃嚘馃嚥馃嚱馃嚭馃嚫
B次元官网网址� Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau)
A film promised natural grass on every pitch at B次元官网网址渋conicB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渟tate-of-the artB次元官网网址� stadiums already built, a sly dig at Morocco, whose stadium infrastructure is far from complete.
B次元官网网址淲e expect record profits for FIFA of (US)$11 billion,B次元官网网址� said Cordeiro, perhaps hitting the key button.
In its film presentation, Morocco billed itself B次元官网网址漚 country with a heart beating for football, a country where football is more than a sport.B次元官网网址�
It promised a profit of $5 billion for FIFA.
Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Royal Football Federation, noted Africa has only ever hosted the World Cup once.
B次元官网网址淣ow weB次元官网网址檙e asking for a second chance to show our abilities,B次元官网网址� he said through an interpreter.
Prior to the vote, Peter Montopoli, general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 bid director, called the vote a B次元官网网址渨atershed momentB次元官网网址� and a B次元官网网址済ame-changer.B次元官网网址�
On paper, the two bids are worlds apart.
In rating the risk assessment of both bidders, with grades of low-, medium- and high-risk, FIFAB次元官网网址檚 own bid evaluation report gave Morocco three high-risk grades (stadiums, accommodation, and accommodation and transport), 10 medium and seven low.
The North American bid got 17 low-risk assessments and three medium (organizing cost, legal-government support, and human rights and labour standards).
The evaluation report also offers a B次元官网网址渢echnical scoringB次元官网网址� of the two bids, with Morocco getting 274.9 out of 500, compared to the United bidB次元官网网址檚 402.8 total.
The United bid plans to use 16 stadiums from a list of 23 B次元官网网址� 17 of which are deemed just fine the way they are, with six needing renovation. Morocco planned to use 14 stadiums, nine of which had yet to be built with the other five due for renovation.
The Canadian Press
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