USSF President Carlos Cordeiro called it an "emotional moment" when the announcement came down last week that the U.S., Canada and Mexico would host the '26 World Cup. Cordeiro, appearing on FS1 prior to today's Japan-Colombia match, said, "As much as we knew we were going to win, there were not guarantees of success. So when it all happened, people were emotionally drained and really physically exhausted having traveled the world. At that moment in time it came through as a bit of a shock, and it's still sinking in." Cordeiro said the North American bid "always had a pathway to victory." Cordeiro: "We had that for four months. The question was a strategy and a plan and we were very meticulous. We went around the world a number of times." Cordeiro added, "We had a pretty good sense, say a month or [so] ago before the vote, that things were looking good, but no guarantees." Cordeiro said that he attended several World Cup matches in Russia, but "we have other discussions ongoing before I head back" ("World Cup Today," FS1, 6/19).
