USA, Canada: 2026 bid rivals? Martin Rogers @mrogersUSAT
VANCOUVER The USA could get locked into a bidding war with Canada over the right to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After staging a successful Women’s World Cup that ended with the USA lifting the trophy thanks to a victory against Japan on Sunday, Canadian soccer chiefs have given strong indications a major effort to land the biggest event in the sport soon might follow.
“We have hosted every major FIFA competition except the men’s World Cup,” said Peter Montopoli, general secretary of Canada Soccer. “We’ve proved we can be a great host in our country and we’d certainly like to do it again, pending the right opportunities and circumstances.”
Canada Soccer President Victor Montagliani said his organization must leverage the success of hosting the women’s event.
Although U.S. Soccer has held back from formally announcing it will bid because of the fractious state of soccer’s political landscape, an American effort to stage the tournament is not only expected but also would be a strong favorite to win the rights.
“Competition is always good,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati told reporters when asked about the potential for Canada and the USA to be rival bidders.
The bidding process was due to get underway this year with a final decision set for 2017, but the turmoil within FIFA as a result of widespread corruption allegations led by the Department of Justice has led to a postponement.
The successful bids of Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022 are under legal scrutiny, and it’s possible that either or both of those voting procedures will be recast if impropriety can be proved. That scenario would raise the chance of the USA, which lost out to Qatar for the 2022 bid by a vote of 14-8, stepping in as an alternate.
However, such a move would be strongly opposed by one of the most powerful men in soccer politics, Kuwait Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who controls the Asian confederation’s voting bloc. Ahmad would prefer for the tournament to remain in the Middle East if it were to be stripped from Qatar or at the very least be held in an Asian nation.
Gulati has said the USA would only consider bidding if alterations are made to the manner in which votes are conducted. He publicly backed Prince Ali of Jordan, the only other candidate on the ballot that re-elected FIFA President Sepp Blatter in late May, before Blatter announced days later that he would eventual- ly step down.
“I said if the rules don’t change ... and some of the rules already have changed,” Gulati said when quizzed about 2026. “Given everything that is going on in international soccer right now, it would be premature to talk about 2026.”
However, Gulati said he and the U.S. Soccer hierarchy were well aware of Canada’s intentions. “The organizing committee here did a great job. It has been a smashing success in every way,” he said. “(Montagliani) and his group have been terrific hosts. He has made it clear they are thinking about bidding (for the men’s World Cup).”
Canada would need to overcome serious hurdles to stand a legitimate chance of staging the men’s tournament. While the women’s event was held in six cities across the country, the men’s event likely would require at least 10.
Canada currently does not have enough venues required to meet the FIFA mandate of a minimum capacity of 40,000 for group stage matches and 60,000 for quarterfinal games.
Venues have never been a problem for the USA in regard to a potential bid. The USA hosted the men’s tournament in 1994, the last time a nation from the CONCACAF confederation that incorporates North and Central America and the Caribbean staged the event.