United 26 ticks all the boxes, but . . .
US popularity could sink host bid
THE heads of a joint bid from the US, Mexico and Canada to host the 2026 World Cup trumpeted a winning plan on Saturday that technically ticks most, if not all, the boxes Fifa wants – but could miss the mark when it comes to winning friends.
On the surface, the fight to stage the expanded 2026 tournament, the first to involve 48 nations, would appear a David and Goliath struggle with Morocco, the only other bidder, up against the commercial and organisational might of the North and Central Americans.
Already possessing all the necessary infrastructure and stadiums to host a massive 48-team tournament, United 2026 executive director John Kristick boasted the bid was able to “focus on building the game, not stadiums”.
While the United 2026 bid may be technically impressive, it comes at a time when the US’ globally popularity is on the decline.
Bids must be submitted to Fifa by March 16 and the awarding announcement, set for June 13, leaves little time to mend relationships.
United 2026 bid members conceded their efforts have not been helped by the sight of disgraced Fifa officials being paraded in front of US judges on corruption charges and the escalation of tensions in the Arab world over President Donald Trump’s decision last week to move their embassy to Jerusalem.
“But they [Fifa] are going to have to make a decision of what is in the best interest of football, what’s in the best interest of the World Cup and as long as our bid gets delivered the way I think it will, we will be okay,” Kristick said. If the United 2026 officials need to understand how important good relationships are, they need look no further than efforts to host an Olympic Games in the US.
After stunning rebukes to New York to host the 2012 Olympics and Chicago’s failed bid for the 2016 Games, the US Olympic Committee spent years repairing fences and were finally rewarded for their efforts earlier this year with Los Angeles landing the 2028 Summer Games.
One thing that could help smooth over rocky relationships is the commercial viability of the United 2026 plan which could help replenish Fifa coffers.
“We believe between the size of stadiums, which obviously impacts attendance, the level of hospitality at stadiums that affects revenue and the commercial opportunities available to Fifa, this will be by far the most financially successful World Cup and this is probably a pretty good time for that to happen for Fifa,” said US Soccer Federation head Sunil Gulati. — Reuters