The FIFA World Congress in Moscow has voted by a score of 134 to 65 to accept the United bid of Canada, the US and Mexico for the World Cup tournament in 2026. This is the first time the World Cup tournament has been awarded by a vote of member countries, rather than FIFA executives. The 2026 World Cup will also be the first to feature 48 teams. Sadly, the FIFA selection process in previous years appears to have been subject to serious graft. The United bid was judged to be the better option (over Morocco) after a review by FIFA’s technical committee. The tandem of Canada, the US and Mexico scored a 4.0 out of 5 on their rating scale, while Morocco received a score of 2.7, and the bid was judged to be “high risk” in the categories of stadiums, accommodation, and transportation. Canada is expected to host 10 of the 80 total matches, with specific host cities still yet to be decided. All matches from the quarter-finals onward will be hosted in the US, however. Three stadiums across Canada will play host to group stage games — most likely BMO Field in Toronto, Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, and the Olympic Stadium in Montreal.
MAYOR AT BMO FIELD WEDNESDAY
Mayor Tory will be joined by Toronto FC President Bill Manning and John Herdman, Canada’s Men’s National Team Head Coach Wednesday at 10 a.m. at BMO Field to discuss the successful bid. ,
