US-Canada-Mexico candidacy for 2026 Cup is possible, says leader

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Victor Montagliani is President of Concacaf

Football officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico are due to meet next year to discuss the possibility of a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani said on Wednesday.

Fifa confirmed in October that it will accept joint candidacies for the 2026 tournament, without any restriction on the number of countries in the same proposal.

"It's obviously a possibility," Montagliani told Reuters on the sidelines of a sports conference in Dubai. "We are fully aware that each country could probably organize on its own."

CONCACAF is the body responsible for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

In the event of a victory, it would be the first time the World Cup has been held in a Concacaf country since the 1994 World Cup in the United States, and the first in more than one country since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea .

"It's time to go back," said Montagliani, adding that Concacaf "absolutely" expects the 2026 tournament to be hosted by one of its 41 members.

The 2026 Cup may also be the first with an increase in the number of participants from 32 to 48 if the proposal advocated by FIFA president Gianni Infantino is approved.