US, Canada and Mexico joint World Cup bid to generate USD 14 billion for FIFA
The United States of America together with Canada and Mexico have put together a ‘2026 North American World Cup’ bid that is projected to generate about USD 14 billion in revenue. US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro dubbed this as the being the "the most successful World Cup they will ever be". The proposed bid led by the US is a massive jump in revenue in comparison with the 2014 World Cup which was reported to have generated USD 4.8 billion in revenue for FIFA. In 2014, FIFA made USD 2.4 billion in TV rights fees, $1.6 billion in sponsorships, and USD 527 million in ticket sales. Meanwhile, the African bid from Morocco has also received significant support in recent weeks. The North African nation submitted a 193-page document to FIFA in March detailing the reasons why it should host the tournament.
Morocco has promoted the compact nature of its bid, in contrast to its rival's plans to span an entire North American continent.
The vote to award the 2026 event takes place on 13 June in Moscow. US President Donald Trump previously said that it would be "a shame if countries we always support" lobbied against the US bid, a direct reference to most of the African and other voting developing countries.
However, Cordeiro said on Tuesday 15 May that he hoped FIFA members would set aside politics when they vote next month. "The question of who will host in 2026 has at times become mixed with geopolitics," Cordeiro added.
"We are asking that we be judged, not on the politics of the moment, but on the merits of our bid." The United States previously hosted the World Cup in 1994 and Mexico has hosted it twice, in 1970 and1986.
South Africa made the first African country to host the FIFA World Cup, a massive global show piece that is a major boost for host countries in terms of sports and transport infrastructure development, tourism and economic driver due to its huge international ticket sales.
Zambia’s Chipolopolo is yet to make its debut appearance despite being a respectable side in Africa and a consistent campaigner for the CAF Africa Cup. Most Zambian soccer fans view the 2026 World Cup as a must appearance as the tournament will have the increased participant from the current 32 to 48 teams, with Africa to have 9 slots from the current 5.