2026 World Cup Bid Suspended by FIFA
Our Take:
In light of the corruption and bribery claims against FIFA officials, soccer’s governing body has confirmed that the bid for the location of the 2026 World Cup has been suspended, says Deadline in the article below. Recall that Fox and Telemundo had landed the English- and Spanish-language TV rights to cover the 2026 World Cup, but no third-party bids were considered. Many speculated that the extension was given to Fox and Telemundo in light of the fact that FIFA moved the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (which those networks are covering) to the winter instead of summer–a move which could be less than ideal from a broadcast scheduling perspective. This article points out that the locations of future World Cups, even those that have been decided, are in jeopardy of losing the bids amidst this intense scrutiny. At any rate, the delay of the bidding process will be watched closely by current World Cup TV rights holders–as well as future ones.
Embattled FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, who is at the centre of claims of corruption and bribery in football’s governing body, has confirmed that the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup has been suspended. “Due to the situation, I think it’s nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being.
