US could host 2026 world cup
Washington: USA football team may have lost in the pre-quarterfinals but it evoked “unprecedented” appetite for the game in the country that could see it bid for the 2026 World Cup, according to media reports. “There is a commitment to work with US Soccer,” FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke was quoted as saying by Brazilian newspaper Globo.
“What we see in the United States is staggering. The audience is unprecedented, more than the NBA. The country has the largest level of youth soccer in the world, with 20 million young people playing,” he said.
US Soccer president and FIFA executive committee member Sunil Gulati has previously said the United States could bid to host the 2026 tournament, but only if bidding rules change.
The US, who previously hosted the World Cup in 1994, lost out to Qatar for the 2022 tournament.
The 1994 World Cup was the highest in terms of audience with average attendances of nearly 69,000.
After advancing from a tough group also containing Germany, Portugal and Ghana, the US took Belgium to extra time before eventually being beaten 1-2 in an entertaining match which saw 56 shots on goal.
