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North America’s bid to host 2026 World Cup jeopardized by falling U.S. popularity
The Washington Post ^ | 12-18-2017 | Steven Goff

Posted on 12/19/2017 8:04:25 AM PST by Trump20162020

The North American bid to stage the 2026 World Cup seems like a sure thing. From stadiums and infrastructure to commercial opportunities and organizational experience, the joint effort by the United States, Mexico and Canada appears to meet all the necessary requirements (and then some) to host soccer’s premier competition.

The proposal would mesh more than a half-billion people from three countries that have put on 12 FIFA tournaments (men and women, senior and youth). With European and Asian countries ineligible to bid and South America waiting for 2030, the only challenger is Morocco, a country of similar size and population to California.

No contest, right? Not so fast.

As the sides finalize their bids ahead of the March 16 deadline, there is growing concern in some U.S. circles that a North American victory celebration after the FIFA vote June 13 in Moscow is not as certain as once thought.

Behind the scenes, those familiar with the tri-nation effort are worried many FIFA member countries — and, by extension, continental voting blocs — are leaning toward Morocco.

Rather, they stem from a precipitous decline in U.S. popularity around the world and, to a smaller extent, the fact that the American judicial system took the lead in prosecuting FIFA scandals. While the exposure of misconduct has helped cleanse the sport’s tarnished international governing body, some in world soccer apparently aren’t happy with the U.S. government’s aggressive role.

The inclusion of Mexico and Canada should broaden the bid’s appeal. Of the 80 matches, 60 would take place in U.S. venues and 10 apiece in the other two countries. The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 teams, an increase of 16.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Cheese, Moose, Sister; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: 201803; 20180316; 201806; 20180613; 2026; 2026worldcup; deadlines; fifa; morocco; soccer; whocares; worldcup
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1 posted on 12/19/2017 8:04:25 AM PST by Trump20162020
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To: Trump20162020

Where is that tiny violin?


2 posted on 12/19/2017 8:06:54 AM PST by txrefugee
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: Trump20162020

Oh noes!! Now I’ll have to continue to watch a sport I really don’t give a Shiite about on TV (when nothing else is on and the world is ending).


4 posted on 12/19/2017 8:08:53 AM PST by FlipWilson (The)
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To: Trump20162020

Gee, who would ever think the Washington Post would frame it this way?/s


5 posted on 12/19/2017 8:09:20 AM PST by daler
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To: Trump20162020

Americans don’t want to watch men run around in short pants kicking a ball.


6 posted on 12/19/2017 8:09:22 AM PST by Lurkinanloomin (Natural Born Citizen Means Born Here of Citizen Parents-Know Islam, No Peace-No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: faithhopecharity
Good. The less foreigners in my country, the better I like it.

Dr. Xenophobe

7 posted on 12/19/2017 8:09:49 AM PST by bagster (Even bad men love their mamas.)
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To: Trump20162020

Wait until they analyze how many soccer jerseys, and how much beer, they can sell in Morocco. It is coming to North America, despite the fact that Canadian soccer has gone from weak to practically non-existent...

Who would even travel to Morocco?


8 posted on 12/19/2017 8:10:13 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: txrefugee
Bill Shultz explains(at 1:50 mark)HERE
9 posted on 12/19/2017 8:12:15 AM PST by RckyRaCoCo (FUMSM)
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To: Trump20162020

I’d rather the US host the Cricket World Series before anything soccer. (And the Cricket World Series doesn’t exist yet.)


10 posted on 12/19/2017 8:15:22 AM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Olog-hai; Trump20162020

Correction: World Series Cricket doesn’t exist anymore; it existed briefly from 1977 to 1979.


11 posted on 12/19/2017 8:17:20 AM PST by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Trump20162020

I remember the good old days when soccer wasn’t considered a sport here.

No loss.


12 posted on 12/19/2017 8:17:38 AM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Trump20162020
👍🏻EXCELLENT!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼We don't have to fork over billions to build stupid sport centers!!
13 posted on 12/19/2017 8:18:37 AM PST by RoseofTexas
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To: Trump20162020

Excellent! We don’t want to help soccer by popularizing it in the worlds largest consumer market. That would make those soccer nerds around the world rich.

Instead, we should give them a sharp scalpel and a suture kit to safely remove their nose from their ugly faces.


14 posted on 12/19/2017 8:18:47 AM PST by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being rich or stupid!)
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To: Trump20162020
A writer nailed it when he said as a kid, soccer was pushed on us, and so was the metric system — and for the same reason: The rest of the world did it; America was stubborn and behind. We needed to embrace the real football, soccer, played by thin, small, virtuous Third Worlders, who had no equipment save a ball, and maybe a few sticks for goals. Nets, too, if they were really lucky.

I never gave in to that sentiment, and stuck to American exceptionalism vs Globalist hegemony. However, with a few changes...

....maybe we could be swayed and soccer would be more popular.

15 posted on 12/19/2017 8:19:42 AM PST by DoodleBob
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To: Trump20162020

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EuE60mq0r1Q

Yeah - bring back the old days (snicker)


16 posted on 12/19/2017 8:19:59 AM PST by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Trump20162020

Boo hoo hoo.

I can’t possibly care no less.


17 posted on 12/19/2017 8:20:11 AM PST by Sequoyah101 (It feels like we have exchanged our dreams for survival. We just have a few days that don't suck.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Actually the 1994 World Cup, played in the US, still holds the record for highest attended tournament - and there were few games in 94 then in subsequent tournaments.

The dolts that run FIFA should be fired on the spot if they pick MOROCCO over the US.


18 posted on 12/19/2017 8:20:31 AM PST by safeasthebanks ("The most rewarding part, was when he gave me my money!" - Dr. Nick)
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To: BookmanTheJanitor

19 posted on 12/19/2017 8:21:07 AM PST by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Lurkinanloomin
Americans don’t want to watch men run around in short pants kicking a ball.

... and flopping around like fish out of water in faux-pain when one player farts in the general direction of another. Lord help them when they actually touch each other and the red cards slice through arteries and players die.

20 posted on 12/19/2017 8:21:09 AM PST by Tenacious 1 (You couldn't pay me enough to be famous for being rich or stupid!)
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