ORLANDO, Fla. – A joint bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico was selected Wednesday to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which means it's possible that some matches could be played in Orlando.
[VIDEO: Central Florida Sports Commission CEO Jason Siegel discusses World Cup 2026]
Here are the details known at this point about the World Cup.
- The North American bid won by vote of 134 to 65 over Morocco
- It's the first time three nations have been selected to co-host a FIFA World Cup
- The tournament will be played in North America for the first time in 32 years
- It will mark the first time the World Cup will be extended to a 48-team format
In addition:
- Number of Matches: 80
- Number of Players: +1,100
- Candidate Host Cites: 23
- Proposed Training Sites: 150
- Projected Revenue: $14 billion
- Projected Profit: $11 billion
- Projected Economic Impact: $5 billion
- Projected Ticket Sales: 5.8 million
"Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport," said Carlos Cordeiro, president of U.S. Soccer and co-chair of the United Bid. 'We are humbled by the trust our colleagues in the FIFA family have put in our bid; strengthened by the unity between our three countries and the CONCACAF region; and excited by the opportunity we have to put football on a new and sustainable path for generations to come."
Orlando is one of the U.S. cities vying to host matches, which would be held at Camping World Stadium. FIFA will make the final selection of host cities for the 2026 competition from the 23 candidates proposed in the bid.
Officials said the bid will generate billions of dollars.
- More than $14 billion in revenue for FIFA
- $11 billion in profits for FIFA, which will be shared with its 211 members
- A recent economic impact study says host cities could reap up to $500 million each
"Like it did in 1994, this World Cup will further allow us to celebrate the soccer culture in this country and inspire a new generation," Orlando City CEO Alex Leitao said. "We can’t wait for the opportunity to continue showing Orlando’s great passion for soccer."