North American countries announce joint World Cup bid
THE United States, Mexico and Canada have announced a joint bid to stage the 2026 World Cup, aiming to become the first three-way co-hosts in the history of FIFA's showpiece tournament.
US Soccer Federation chief Sunil Gulati, who announced the bid in New York with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, insisted they had the full backing of President Donald Trump, despite the US leader's rocky relations with Mexico.
Gulati said 60 of the tournament's matches would be staged in the United States, with Canada and Mexico hosting 10 games each.
The United States would host all knockout games from the quarter-finals onwards, he added.
Gulati played down the possibility that politics could hamper the bid, emphasising that Trump was "especially pleased" with Mexico's involvement.
"The president of the US is fully supportive ... We are not at all concerned at some of the concerns that some people may raise," he said.
