US Soccer chose its new president last month and he has immediately been tasked with securing the joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup.
Carlos Cordeiro took over from Sunil Gulati, who had been in the post 12 years, in February and he will have to restore confidence in the organisation after the men’s team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
The US, as part of United 2026, have submitted a joint bid with both Canada and Mexico. It is hoped that hosting the tournament for the first time since 1994 would solidify public support for the sport in the USA after years of soccer threatening to take over American football, basketball and ice hockey.
Cordeiro is leading a delegation to Soccerex China in April and it is hoped that his efforts alongside the Mexican Bid Director, Yon De Luisa, will be enough to sway the decision their way.
China is of particular interest this year as President’s Xi Jinping has made clear that the country intends to host the FIFA World Cup in coming years, with speculation that they will make a bid for the 2030 or 2034 tournaments.
The formal announcement of the winning candidate for 2026 will be made in Moscow on June 13, just before the 2018 World Cup.
