The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States. On Wednesday, the 68th FIFA Congress convened in Moscow and designated the three countries as the hosts of tournament, which by then will be played with 48 teams.
The United bid received 134 of 200 votes cast, or 67 percent. Morocco tallied 65 votes (33 percent) and one single member association voted not to choose either of the two bids.
On the eve of the opening game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, made an appearance at the Expocentre and delivered a speech to the representatives of FIFA’s member associations reiterating the country’s readiness to welcome the world.
The 68th FIFA Congress, among other decisions, ratified the 2017 financial report and approved the budget for the 2019-2022 cycle, with an unwavering focus on football development.
After having been presented with updated financial results which show that FIFA has currently contracted more than $6.1 billion in revenues, or 108 percent of its full-cycle budget for 2015-2018, the FIFA Congress approved the budget for the 2019-2022 cycle, which assumes a growth in revenue to $6.56 billion. Of this number, 70 percent is already contracted. The budget for expenses is $6.46 billion, of which 80 percent will be invested in football activities.
The budget for the FIFA Forward Programme will be increased by $667 million to a total of $1.75 billion. As a result, the investment in development and education increases by 41 percent compared to the current cycle.
The 69th FIFA Congress is scheduled for June 5, 2019, in Paris, on the eve of the opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Photo courtesy Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
