Toronto is one step closer to hosting the world's biggest soccer stars. Later this week, FIFA will deploy a task force to Canada's most populous city in order to evaluate a proposed joint North American bid for World Cup 2026. Now, and almost a year removed from initial reports of the bid, it's looking like a NAFTA-inspired tournament could very much be a reality. FIFA representatives will be visiting Toronto on Wednesday and Thursday and spend time analyzing potential locations for World Cup events, including soccer stadiums, training facilities, and spots for FIFA Fan Fest.
The aptly titled FIFA Bid Evaluation Task Force spent Monday in Mexico City, and will visit New York and Atlanta after the scheduled pit stop in Toronto. As of now, the North American proposal has a considerable shot at landing the global sporting phenomenon, but it'll have to beat out a heavily supported bid from Morocco. In a report from ESPN earlier this year, soccer experts claimed that the North African nation will be backed by higher powers across its own continent, as well as Asia and South America—votes from all of these bodies would let Morocco cruise to victory.
Before Canadian footy fans lose faith, however, it's important to note that FIFA is still a few weeks away from an announcement regarding the 2026 World Cup. According to industry experts, we can expect a winning host to be revealed on June 13, which is the day before kick off of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
