It will have been a 32 year wait when the first kick off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup happens in North American again. However, it is happening as it was announced yesterday that the North American trio of Canada, Mexico, and the United States bid to host beat out Morocco, who have failed to earn a bid for the fifth time. The 2026 tournament is also the first time a proposed expansion to 48 teams from 32 will occur. What does this mean for us? A promising delivery of $14 billion in revenue is a start, almost three billion of that coming from ticket and hospitality revenue alone. It also would not require much construction as the 16 stadiums that were proposed already exist and would need minor renovations as the most. While the bid did have proposed cities to play host to the different matches in the end, FIFA will have the deciding factor as to where matches will be played. The U.S. Certainly have an edge in terms in number of matches on our soil versus Mexico and Canada due to the sheer amount of multi-billion dollar stadiums already in use across the country. Also, with the World Cup happening during the summer months, all stadiums are in play except for baseball’s finest grounds.
Having a World Cup in your country is similar to the Olympics; it is a chance to be the hosts to the world’s eyes and a platform to come together in the spirit of competition. Competition that the U.S. Has been lacking in in recent months. The U.S. Men’s soccer team failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and saying that it was a disappointment is a gross understatement. After the 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago, then manager Bruce Arena stepped down and Dave Sarachen was put in charge. In friendly matches, the team has looked somewhat promising as the rebuilding stage begins in the hunt to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which is sure to be a sizzler, even in the “winter” months. The future of the team lies within Christian Pulisic, star midfielder who plays for German side, Borussia Dortmund, at the club level. As players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, names that have grown into national recognition, grow older and can no longer complete, the responsibility of moving the team forward comes to the youth in the squad. Players like Julian Green, Bobby Wood, and DeAndre Yedlin. The USMNT needs to seriously think about revamping the entire program in order to secure a spot in the world’s tournament for years to come and it starts with the youth. Youth programs account for the better success rates you see out of countries like Spain, England, and Germany. The U.S. has to admit that we have the structure and development programs wrong and revisit how we scout talent, grow players’ abilities, and overall enhance the idea that the U.S. can be the best in the world at the world’s most popular sport, the beautiful game.