Complete Bid Book – United Bid

2
Legacy
engagement suited to meet the needs of 21st
century audiences.
The United Bid also represents a vision for
putting human rights and environmental
sustainability at the heart of the FIFA World
Cup and using football to connect the world
in a way that upholds human dignity.
THE GAME: Hosting the 2026 FIFA World
Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United
States will accelerate the development of
football in North America, transforming three
sports-loving countries into one of the planet’s
most vibrant football communities.
The professional football leagues in all
three Host Countries are at different stages in
their development, and the 2026 FIFA World
Cup will help all of them improve the quality
of the product on the field by forming new
continent-wide partnerships and investing in
improved pathways for elite player, referee,
coach, and facilities development.
In addition, at the member association
level, all three federations will further expand
and improve youth development programs
offered to their constituents – which is critical
if we are to capitalize on the significant growth
of the sport which we anticipate the 2026
FIFA World Cup will bring. This includes a
focus on unstructured play, an expansion of
futsal leagues, and a deeper integration of
football into schools, community
organizations, and government health and
wellness programs.
The United Bid is already working to help
ensure football can continue to be played at all
levels, regardless of environmental
challenges, economic barriers, and other
limiting factors. We have challenged
researchers in North America to create a hybridgrass
that can be grown and maintained in an
indoor facility or other challenging climates. We
have also begun to explore applications of
behavioral science and urban design to help
weave football participation and development
into new, diverse spaces. The United Bid will
have eight years to incubate these and
countless other innovative concepts so that
our work with FIFA results in the most relevant
and impactful initiatives possible.
THE FANS: The United Bid believes
everyone is a fan and that fans are one of the
most important elements of a successful FIFA
World Cup and the game at large. We are
committed to staging a 2026 FIFA World
Cup that involves everyone, whether they
attend in-person or connect from afar. We
want to re-imagine fan experiences to
celebrate football and the extraordinary
spectacle of the FIFA World Cup in ways
that are both personally compelling and
shared by people and communities all across
North America and around the world.
Combined, our three countries represent
a population that will approach 550 million
people by 2026, and a billion people across
the Americas, creating tremendous
opportunity to grow the global football
community. The United Bid will work
throughout our region, linking our Candidate
Host Cities with cities in countries across
A B C D E 2 Legacy 9/474