US-Canada-Mexico win bid for 2026 FIFA World Cup

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Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on Wednesday announced that the US, Canada and Mexico won the combined bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the 207 nations and regions voted at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow. It will be the first time for FIFA World Cup to happen in three different countries.

In the competition with Morocco, the North American team won with an overwhelming advantage of 134-65, according to New York Times.

It will be the first time for three countries to host the FIFA World Cup. /VCG Photo

This is the first bid for FIFA World Cup since the bribery scandals about bidding for 2022 World Cup. FIFA has abandoned the voting by the 22-person committee in the past and allowed all 207 members to vote to decide the new host.

All three countries had experience for hosting football World Cup. The US held the 1994 FIFA World Cup and Mexico held the event twice respectively in 1970 and 1986. Canada, though has not hosted men's football World Cup, it held the women's football World Cup in 2015. As for Morocco, this is the fifth time for the north African country to bid for FIFA World Cup after four failed attempts.

Morocco failed its fifth attempt to bid for FIFA World Cup, like the country did for four times in the past. /VCG Photo

Forty-eight teams will be attending the FIFA World Cup in 2026 in 16 groups to play 80 games in total. No.1 and No.2 of each group will enter the knockout tournament. A team still has to play seven games to win the trophy with one game reduced in the group but one increased for elimination series.

According to the bidding application report of North America, 60 games will happen in the US, including all matches since the quarterfinals. Canada and Mexico will host 10 each. In order to avoid disputes, each country will host a game for the opener of the event.