US-led 2026 World Cup bid may generate $11 billion profit

BRUSSELS, May 8 (AFP): Leaders of North America's bid for the 2026 World Cup urged FIFA voters to ignore the "politics of the moment" on Tuesday as they promised to deliver a record-breaking multi-billion-dollar profit for the global football showpiece.

In an address to the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in Brussels, United States Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro said the 48-team tournament would hand world governing body FIFA a record $11 billion (9.25 billion euros) profit.

"I can announce today that, working with FIFA, we expect that a 2026 World Cup in North America would generate a new record: more than $14 billion in revenue for FIFA," said Cordeiro, one of the three co-chairs of the bid.

"This includes profits for FIFA of nearly $11 billion. In other words, the most successful and profitable FIFA World Cup ever," Cordeiro added in prepared remarks to AIPS delegates.

The US-Canada-Mexico joint bid is battling against a rival bid from Morocco for the right to stage the 2026 tournament. FIFA members will decide the winner of the bidding race at a vote in Moscow on June 13.