This flew under the radar. On Thursday, Concacaf president Jeffery Webb announced Mexico would be bidding to host the U20 World Cup in 2017. He also hinted Mexico could be a Concacaf candidate to host the 2026 World Cup.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
As you know, Canada has already staked claim to that one. Webb said Concacaf would support Concacaf countries and only Concacaf countries to host the 2026 tournament, meaning either Canada, the U.S. or Mexico.
In the summer of 2011, Fifa president Sepp Blatter said Mexico would be a strong choice for the U20 World Cup, and that Fifa's (abandoned?) policy of rotating the big tournament between confederations means it would be Concacaf's turn by 2026. He said Mexico would be a good candidate because it has already hosted two successful World Cups. Azteca Stadium in Mexico City is the only stadium in the world to have hosted two World Cup finals.
The gentleman hosting the ESPN Deportes Destino Brasil podcast said on their Sept. 14 show that Mexico has already launched its bid for the 2026 tournament, but I can't seem to find anything official beyond what Webb hinted at this week.
How would Canada's bid for the World Cup be affected if Mexico gets serious about hosting the same tournament? The idea of Canada hosting the 2026 was always far-fetched, no matter how serious the CSA says it is about the bid. But I would think any country from the region would need those three Concacaf votes, making it extremely unlikely that two serious bids could emerge from here. And let's not forget, the U.S. may dive into the running too.
Feel free to enlighten me in the comments section as to how a Mexico 2026 World Cup bid would affect the nascent Canadian one.