The successful joint North America bid will see the global sports event return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.
The
United States,
Mexico and
Canada have won a joint bid to host the 2026 soccer
World Cup.
World soccer governing body
FIFA unveiled the decision Wednesday in Moscow, where this year's tournament kicks off on Thursday.
The joint North American bid was widely favored to win out after two unpopular, and controversial, decisions to grant the World Cup to
Russia this year and to Qatar in 2022.
The 2026 tournament will mark the first time the World Cup has been hosted by three nations. It will also be only the second time the tournament will be on U.S. soil, following the 1994 event. Mexico last hosted the World Cup in 1986. Canada has never played host to the men's tournament.
The decision also means the United States, whose team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will be guaranteed to play in the 2026 event.
Two TV companies set to benefit from FIFA's decision are Fox Sports and Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo, which have the U.S. rights (in English and Spanish, respectively) for the next three World Cups, in 2018, 2022 and 2026.