U.S. senators are taking measures to ensure the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to North America.
Forty-four senators on Wednesday signed a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump asking for his support of a joint World Cup bid with Mexico and Canada. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., shared the news of the letter, and he did so with flair.
Just joined 42 Senators in sending a bipartisan letter to President Trump in support of @United2026. Our GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL is for the US, Canada, and Mexico to jointly host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. pic.twitter.com/B06DnaPz3F
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) February 21, 2018
The Washington Post reported that the senators' request needs to go through Trump in part because the U.S. government would need to guarantee visa-free travel, as well as work-permit and tax exemptions, in order for the event to go smoothly.
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World Cup bids are usually submitted two tournaments in advance during a FIFA conference in the country hosting the current World Cup. In May 2017, FIFA — under pressure from CONCACAF, the body that governs North and Central American soccer — fast-tracked the decision-making process so that bidding could begin in August 2017. Potential host countries must meet technical specifications by March 16 of this year.