FIFA’s 211 member associations met in Manama, Bahrain for the 67th FIFA Congress. The organization’s supreme body made a few important decisions on key steps for the future of soccer’s governing body.
This included the ratification of the next stages of the bidding process to select the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. Following the approval of the bidding requirements by the FIFA Council on 9 May, the FIFA Congress agreed, with 93% of the valid votes, on a three-month period – until 11 August 2017 – for member associations from CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and the OFC to express their interest in hosting the tournament. The decision on whether to select any of the bidders as the host(s) of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be taken by the 68th FIFA Congress, which will convene in Moscow on 13 June next year, on the eve of the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
Last month, U.S. Soccer Federation, in conjunction with the Canada Soccer Association and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol, announced a historic unified bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which would see the tournament held across three countries for the first time: the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The approved motion reads as follows:
“Based on specific regulations to be issued by the Council, the FIFA general secretariat shall establish a bidding procedure inviting initially the member associations of CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and the OFC to express their interest by 11 August 2017 to submit to FIFA a bid to host the final competition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 68th FIFA Congress will decide on the selection of the candidate host associations.
Should the 68th FIFA Congress not select any candidate host associations, the FIFA general secretariat will invite further member associations – including the member associations of AFC and UEFA and excluding those member associations that submitted a bid initially – to submit a bid to host the final competition of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
