(ATR)In less than 24 hours the host for the 2026 World Cup will be decided at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow.
The contest will be awarded to either Morocco or the United bid, comprised of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Meeting ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Thursday, 205 of the 211 federations will cast a vote. None of the four possible hosts may vote and Kosovo will be absent following the sudden death of their federation president, Fadil Vokkri, on Saturday.
Ghana will not be present either, as their government placed a travel ban on any Ghana Football Association official going to the FIFA Congress. Undercover documentary footage revealed earlier this week Ghanaian officials receiving cash payments, resulting in the dissolution of the GFA and a 90-day FIFA ban for former GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Guatemala, who had been formally suspended on corruption charges since October 2016, will be eligible to vote after FIFA lifted the ban on May 31. The CONCACAF member is expected to vote for the United bid.
Donald Trump looked to assuage the fears of some federations when hewrote three letters last month to FIFA president Gianni Infantino guaranteeing there would be no travel restrictions for any foreigners attending a World Cup in the United States.
A simple majority would win the vote.
FIFA Busy Ahead of World Cup
Infantino led a council meeting on June 5 in Paris to confirm a schedule for the next FIFA election cycle. The formal period begins Wednesday at the Congress. Potential candidates must apply by Feb. 5.
FIFA will update their rankings system to seed all 211 men’s national teams. Competitive matches will hold more weight than friendlies and every match will affect a team’s point total. This change encourages teams to play more matches and counteracts the practice of skipping friendlies to improve rankings.
A potential expansion to a 48-team World Cup in Qatar for 2022 has been tabled. Infantino said his staff will discuss the potential change with Qatar. The increase would require more venues, likely requiring neighboring countries to assist.
Putin Takes Part
The Kremlin announced in a short statement that Russian president Vladamir Putin will take part in the 68th FIFA Congress. His role in the event is unknown.
Putin was not present for the Zurich vote in 2010, which granted Russia the 2018 World Cup.
The Russian president sent former FIFA president Sepp Blatter an open invitation to attend the global event. Blatter is in the midst of a six-year ban for ethical violations during his tenure. He is expected to skip the opening match, but will be in Russia for the remainder of the tournament.
Most Traveling World Cup Supporters from U.S.
Out of 2.4 million tickets sold for the World Cup, the 88,825 bought by fans from the U.S. is second among all countries, behind only hosts Russia. The Americas dominate the remainder of the top 10 with Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru all represented.
Defending champions Germany are fourth on the list, while both China and Australia finish just above World Cup regulars England, who sit at 11th.
Written by Jeffrey Farek
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