MOSCOW—The World Cup is coming, Canada.The biggest sporting event on the planet will touch down on Canadian soil for the first time after world soccer’s governing body confirmed Wednesday a joint North American bid of the United States, Canada and Mexico as hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The United 2026 bid saw off surprisingly stiff competition from Morocco, the only other candidate, as delegates from across the world voted 134-65 in favour of the North American bid at FIFA’s 68th Congress in Moscow. Read more:World Cup bounce might play well in CanadaNorth American bid team leaves nothing to chance as World Cup decision loomsAs this year’s installment of the tournament gets ready to kick off in Russia on Thursday, Moscow had been the scene of fevered last-minute campaigning by both bid teams in recent days, United and Moroccan figureheads pitching up at every gathering of continental soccer organizations to push their case. In the end, the vote swung North America’s way by a comfortable margin. Their final on-stage presentation at Congress pushed hard on their “football for all” message. It featured Canadian men’s international wonder teen Alphonse Davies preaching inclusiveness and diversity and was so polished it was blinding. It clearly struck a chord. “On behalf of our United bid, thank you so, so much for this incredible honour,” an emotional U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro said on the Congress stage. Behind him his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, Steven Reed and Decio De Maria, were wrapped in a teary, joyous embrace. “Thank you for entrusting us with this privilege. Let us also salute our friends from Morocco,” added Cordeiro. “At the end of the day, we are all united in football. That’s the spirit of the World Cup, the beautiful game transcends borders and cultures. Football today is the only victor.”One of the most immediate and significant implicatio ...
|
