North American bottom line translates into winning 2026 World Cup bid
In the end, money talked.
FIFA’s member associations had 11 billion reasons to say yes to the joint bid from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to host the 2026 World Cup. Morocco could only offer the world governing body of soccer US$5 billion in profit from the expanded 48-team men’s soccer showcase.
Given FIFA essentially uses its cash cow to fund everything else, the North American bid’s promise of a record $11 billion in profit resonated.
Peter Montopoli, general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association and Canada’s bid director, acknowledged the bottom line was a key factor in the bid win on Wednesday in Moscow.