The joint bid between the US, Mexico and Canada for the 2026 tournament appears to be a shoo-in. But there are still stumbling blocks to be overcome
Anyone who claims sports and politics don’t mix has never bid to host the World Cup. As David Downs – the man who led the failed United States tilt at the 2022 World Cup – recalls, hosting the tournament is all politics. That is one reason the recently announced joint bid from the US, Mexico, and Canada wants Fifa to approve their pitch for the 2026 World Cup – without a rival bid – two years ahead of schedule.
Downs, the former executive director of the 2022 US bid and the president of Univision Sports from 2001 to 2009, suggests that under Fifa’s revamped voting structure, the US-led bid will hit speedbumps caused by American foreign policy and international perceptions of the Trump administration.
Related: 'A slap in the face for many Mexicans': our writers on the 2026 World Cup bid
Continue reading...