The 2026 FIFA World Cup dates and venues have been announced, and no one can stop talking about them. The event will return to North America after 32 years, but not before some mixed opinions amongst the soccer fraternity. At the end of the day, the question arises as to why the USA couldn’t secure the hosting rights by themselves. And adding to the discussion, a former USMNT player, Alexi Lalas, mentioned an anti-American sentiment in the picture.

It is the first World Cup where three countries will co-host. In 1988, the US dominated the bid to beat Morocco and Brazil to claim the entire hosting rights for the 1994 World Cup. However, a few diplomatic ties could have also seemed to influence the decision of the United States, according to the analyst.

Alexi Lalas on why USA needed to join hands to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Despite having the proper infrastructure, Lalas said it was America’s geopolitical burden that caused the USA to partner with Mexico and Canada. The former LA Galaxy star wrote on X (previously Twitter): “When the 2026 World Cup bid was submitted in 2017, there was a potential for US’s geopolitical baggage to be a liability. Adding Canada and Mexico maybe helped soothe some anti-American sentiment within FIFA voters. Ultimately, it just bolstered what was already an attractive bid.” The USA will, in any case, host most of the matches.

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The selection of the host nation is done by taking votes from representatives of the 211 member associations. For the USA to have a successful bid, it would have needed strong diplomatic ties with other member associations, which were helped by tie-ups with Mexico and Canada. The attempt from the North American team won the votes 134-65.

A few countries that voted against the North American unit were North Korea, France, Qatar, China, and Chinese Taipei. Nevertheless, votes from their allies in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, were a valuable addition. However, the number could have dipped if the US had gone for a solo attempt, as per the statement of Lalas.

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The US will host 78 out of 104 matches, with Canada and Mexico sharing 13 each. Additionally, the United States will host two semi-finals and the final. Whereas, the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico, which held the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, will witness the opening game. While placing the tender, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said that the unity among the host nations will deliver an exceptional tournament. On the whole, it remains to see how the sport lifts up the regions after a collaborative effort.

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