On April 10, 2017, soccer’s governing bodies in Canada, Mexico and the United States came together in New York City to announce their United Bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. On Tuesday – exactly 365 days later – FIFA’s 2026 Bid Evaluation Task Force began its technical tour of the three nations by visiting Mexico City – the first of four United Bid Candidate Host Cities which the group will assess during their trip.
Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo is a proposed FIFA Fan Fest location in Mexico City. This historic square has been a gathering place since the Aztec times and can support more than 60,000 football fans. Check it out. #FIFATour2026 #Opportunity2026🇨🇦🇲🇽🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MQmzuR44SQ
— United 2026 (@united2026) April 10, 2018
Welcomed by the 2026 United Bid Chairs and 2026 United Bid Directors Steven Reed (Canada), Decio de Maria (Mexico) and Carlos Cordeiro (USA), the Bid Evaluation Task Force met this morning for a daily briefing and inspection visit overview, before departing for a tour of Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo), a historic outdoor city square and a proposed FIFA Fan Fest site.
Zócalo is considered the heart of Mexico City, and has been a gathering place since the Aztec times, more recently having hosted public viewings of events including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Major League Baseball Series Festival in 2016.
Today’s #FIFATour2026 in Mexico City continued with a stop at Centro de Alto Rendimiento - one of the elite team base camps included in our proposal to FIFA. You can read more about our bid here https://t.co/hALA8rt9p0 #Certainty2026 🇨🇦🇲🇽🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RA6Pb6QT8t
— United 2026 (@united2026) April 10, 2018
Following the tour of Zócalo, the Task Force then visited one of the United Bid’s 84 proposed team base camps—Centro de Alto Rendimiento—before touring Estadio Azteca, the country’s largest stadium and iconic home of the Mexican National Team. One of two venues worldwide to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals (1970 and 1986), the stadium has had extensive renovation and restorations and has recorded audiences of over 107,000 for football and 132,000 for boxing in the past.
UNITY, OPPORTUNITY, AND CERTAINTY IN FOCUS
Today’s tour highlighted the United Bid’s commitment to bringing three neighboring countries together—united as one—to provide FIFA and its Member Associations with a new and sustainable blueprint for hosting future FIFA World Cups. Mexico City—one of the United Bid’s 23 qualified Candidate Host Cities—reflects these values:
- UNITY—Mexico City’s vision as a Candidate Host City is to continue with the tradition of inclusion and sustainability as sporting pillars, united as a team in sport for the world. Football plays an important role in the Mexico City’s tradition and is the most practiced sport among its citizens. United, the city will offer an experience of hospitality, enriched by local traditions and culture.
- OPPORTUNITY— Greater Mexico City is also the largest metropolitan area of the Western Hemisphere and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. Tourism in Mexico City—an ancient city where the Old World and New World come together—boasts the most sophisticated hospitality sector in Latin America and welcomes more than 13.6 million tourists annually.
- CERTAINTY—Mexico City—which has hosted two FIFA World Cup™ Finals, and hosts an average of 75 professional football matches each year—will draw on its experience hosting international sporting events to offer special cultural, gastronomic, and entertainment offerings for fans and visitors from around the world.
FIFA’s 2026 Bid Evaluation Task Force departs Mexico City on Tuesday night and heads to Atlanta for the second stop of the four-day tour. See below for a full schedule of FIFA’s 2026 Bid Evaluation Task Force and check back to ussoccer.com each day this week four daily recaps of the tour.
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FIFA 2026 Bid Evaluation Task Force Tour Schedule |
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April 9-10 |
Mexico City |
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April 10-11 |
Atlanta |
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April 11-12 |
Toronto |
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April 12-13 |
New York / New Jersey |