While the tide against globalism in politics continues to rise, it’s a totally different story in sports. FIFA is encouraging multi-nation bids for future football/futbol/soccer events and we’ll see a huge one, for the 2026 World Cup, come Monday.
Three CONCACAF nations: the United States of America, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to made what they billed as a historic announcement today at One World Observatory on the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center (the “Freedom Tower”). They unveiled plans of their joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup. This is the first tri-nation bid in history and the 2026 World Cup will be the first edition with 48 teams competing.
The event was attended by:
- Sunil Gulati – President, United States Soccer Federation; Member, FIFA Council
- Victor Montagliani – President, CONCACAF; President, Canadian Soccer Association
- Decio de Maria – President, Mexican Football Federation; Vice President, CONCACAF
More details will be forth-coming on the 2026 World Cup bid, as we still don’t know what the potential host cities would be, but Gullati said that 60 cites would host in the U.S. and 10 each in both Mexico and Canada.
US Soccer’s corporate headquarters is in Chicago and news of Monday’s announcement was sent out while the local MLS club, the Chicago Fire, were taking on their rival Columbus Crew at Toyota Park.
When Veljko Paunovic, Chicago Fire Head Coach, was asked about the 2026 World Cup bid, he had this to say (with the caveat of course that the bid is first confirmed)
“I would say let’s wait until it is announced, but if that’s going to happen I think that would be great for soccer here and everywhere in the world. It’s going to be very important in the future to see, the infrastructure, it’s going to help the infrastructure.”
“To see different countries coming to play here, different supporters, different crowd that’s something soccer everywhere in the world has, and that’s how soccer grows and it’s something very important,” Paunovic said after the Fire beat the first place Columbus Crew 1-0.
U.S. Soccer will make a historic announcement with fellow CONCACAF member nations Mexico and Canada this Monday at 2 p.m. ET. Stay tuned.
— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) April 8, 2017
Mexico (1970) and the United States (1994) have hosted a World Cup, with Mexico doing so again as a fill-in for Colombia in 1986. Canada is yet to host the event.
What about that wall Donald Trump wants to build on the U.S.-Mexican border? Doesn’t this partnership between nations, and the unity it encourages clash with the overt bigotry and disgusting xenophobia of that potential construction project?
“We have the full support of this project from the U.S. government,” Gulati said. “The president of the United States encouraged us to make this bid and is especially pleased that Mexico is involved in this bid. We have a strong encouragement from President Trump.”
That’s encouraging news.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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