On the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, today it was announced that North America (the U.S., Mexico and Canada) will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beating off competition from Morocco. Another victory for America! President Donald Trump was watching very closely from the White House. This will be the first time that the U.S.A. has hosted the FIFA World Cup since 1994, which was a fondly remembered tournament, which was also a huge success that helped to create a real buzz for the sport in the United States.
The inclusion of Canada and Mexico in the tournament comes at a time when Donald Trump intends to renegotiate NAFTA, something which the two neighbouring countries oppose. North America won the decision by a landslide vote of 134 to 65, against minnows Morocco, with a promise of $14 billion in revenue and the lack of construction needed in the U.S. with the 16 stadiums already in existence, being a deciding factor in the final count.
The last World Cup was held in the USA in 1994, the Rose Bowl stadium (pictured) Credit: trivela.uol.com.br
Yes, we’re now entering into realms of football fever with the kick-off of the 2018 World Cup in Russia tomorrow, with the host nation against Saudi Arabia at 16:00pm (GMT). Thirty minutes prior, Robbie Williams will perform at the opening World Cup ceremony at the Moscow Luzhniki Stadium, which is a welcome surprise to bring in the world’s biggest sporting event.
Robbie Williams is a fan favourite with hits like “Angels” and he said regarding the gig, “I’m so happy and excited to be going back to Russia for such a unique performance. I’ve done a lot in my career, and opening the FIFA World Cup to 80,000 football fans in the stadium and many millions all over the world is a boyhood dream.”
Could Robbie Williams opening the tournament be a good luck omen for England? Only time will tell, but for the 2026 World Cup, North America was chosen for its economic and logistical certainty, after big surprises in previous World Cup reveals, such as the corrupt and questionable choice of Qatar for the World Cup in 2022.
However, there is some bad news, and that is that the World Cup in 2026 will feature 48 nations as opposed to 32 nations, with the US set to host 60 of the 80 games, leaving Canada and Mexico to host 10 matches each. We suppose the only good thing about a 48 nation World Cup tournament is that there will be even more football, even if teams like Uganda will qualify, before losing 10-0 to Germany. When the announcement was made for the 2026 World Cup, President Donald Trump tweeted from the White House.
Credit: realDonaldTrump/Twitter
Morocco didn’t fare well in their World Cup bid because of the hazards involved, such as the 14 stadiums that needed building, plus $16 billion in new infrastructure in much needed development projects, in order to host the tournament. The choice of North America was a no brainer, with the veiled threat of America beforehand of potentially pulling out support for countries that opposed their World Cup bid.
FIFA have been scrutinised for corruption over the past few years, with corruption scandals at the South Africa and Brazil World Cup, and so it was a safe bet to put power back into the hands of a joint tournament with the U.S.A, Mexico and Canada. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that before today’s vote, the FIFA bribery scandal had put the organisation on the brink back in 2016, but now, he said, “Two years later, FIFA is alive and well, full of joy and passion and with a vision for its future.”
The new FIFA President, Gianni Infantino (pictured). Credit: The Independent
Gianni Infantino is also responsible for the terrible idea of a socialist style 48 nation World Cup, which should raise some eyebrows. It makes you wonder if referees will be taking bribes from countries in the qualification process, from countries that would never ever qualify for the tournament, eh? Hmmm…
However, this may also mean that the USA, Mexico and Canada will not have to qualify for their World Cup tournament in 2026 either, which will be welcome news for Canada, who rarely every make it there in the first place. So, at long last, the World Cup will be hosted by a nation that isn’t afraid to jail corrupt sports leaders through undercover investigations. How refreshing!
Well, we will definitely look forward to the 2026 World Cup in North America, but not too much, as by then we will all be old and grey, so let’s enjoy tomorrow’s commencement of the 2018 World Cup in Russia instead.
Story by The Narrator
Featured Photo Credit: Qatar Day