Governing Bodies
Legacy and pride on the line as FIFA prepares to name 2026 World Cup host cities tomorrow
The countdown to World Cup 2026 kicks off in earnest on Thursday (June 16), as football fans across Canada, Mexico and the United States learn whether their cities made the coveted cut to host the 48-team tournament.
Four years after Fifa selected the tri-country North American bid, world football’s governing body will announce the host cities after a lengthy process shrouded in mystery.
With 22 host cities still in the running this week, according to Fifa, many expect the United States to see 10 of its candidates chosen with Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto in contention to the north.
In Mexico, where football is less a sport than a religion, three candidate cities – Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey – are all but assured the gig.
Of course, anything can happen ahead of Thursday’s media spectacle in New York City.
“Some of the cities understood probably from the beginning they were a longer shot than others… Five or six cities, almost anybody in the world would say, ‘Well, clearly they’re part of the package’,” former US Soccer President Alan Rothenberg, now chairman of Playfly Premier Partnerships, told Reuters.
“So the scramble in many ways is for the other slots.”
Los Angeles, with its glitzy new US$5.5 billion (S$7.66 billion) SoFi Stadium, is widely considered an obvious candidate, as is global hub New York, whose joint bid with New Jersey is anchored on the 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium.
Other contenders include former 1994 World Cup host cities Boston, Dallas, San Francisco, Orlando and Washington DC, which combined its bid with Baltimore this year.
“There’s an awful lot of pent-up excitement because then we start the four year sprint to the (games),” said Rothenberg, who served as chief executive officer of the 1994 World Cup.
‘A legacy’
There is a potential financial windfall on the line for bid cities: A 2018 US Soccer study said the tournament could generate more than US$5 billion in economic activity for North America.
Also at stake is the pride of taking part in North American football history.
The 1994 World Cup preceded an explosion of popularity in the sport across the United States with Major League Soccer (MLS) launching its first season two years later.
“We’ve all seen so much progress in the growth of soccer over the course of 20-plus years,” said Chris Canetti, president of the Houston World Cup bid committee, who previously had a 19-season career in MLS.
“The platform that (hosting) will provide to really take the sport to even much greater heights is incredible and very exciting as well.”
Canetti pointed to Houston’s size and proximity to Central and South America among its advantages for the global tournament, but added he did not expect any advance notice from Fifa.
“There really hasn’t been a lot of direct feedback to help you feel confident to say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re definitely in’,” he said. “I think our chances are very, very strong.”
Dan Hilferty, the chair of Philadelphia’s bid, said there were plans to build fields not only to host practice facilities for the World Cup but to “create a legacy” in the city, should they be selected.
“I just see this as the final straw in placing soccer among the other top sports,” he told Reuters. “And there will be no turning back.”
-Reuters
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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