CONCACAF eager to host 48-team 2026 World Cup Expanding the football World Cup to 48 teams will enhance North America’s credentials in the 2026 bidding contest, CONCACAF hopes.FIFA president Gianni Infantino earlier this week raised the prospect of adding 16 teams, which would reduce the pool of countries with sufficient infrastructure.
“From a 2026 perspective, pick a number (of finalists) and North American can handle it,” Victor Montagliani, president of the North and Central America and Caribbean soccer confederation, told The Associated Press.
“A CONCACAF bid would be strong regardless of what number we finally set on.”
The World Cup was last staged in the CONCACAF region by the United States in 1994.
The Americans are keen on another shot at hosting in 2026, potentially linking up with neighbours Canada and Mexico.
“Is there an opportunity to combine the three countries? Perhaps. We don’t know that yet,” said Montagliani, a FIFA vice president.
“There have been zero formal discussions. We are not there yet.”
After the troubled bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which sparked years of corruption investigations, FIFA will be hoping for a smoother 2026 vote.
Originally earmarked for 2017, the decision by the FIFA membership is now not due until 2020.
With Africa, South America, Europe and Asia hosting the World Cups between 2010 and 2022, it had been widely accepted that it should be North America’s turn for the first time since 1994.
FIFA’s statues currently prevent consecutive World Cups being staged on the same continent, but China could yet seek to follow 2022 host Qatar.
Chinese conglomerate Wanda signed up as a top-tier FIFA sponsor in March saying it wanted to be “better placed” to help decide where future editions of the World Cup are awarded.