The FA "is on the brink of voting" for the U.S., Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 World Cup, according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The United bid "is also expecting the rest of the home nations to follow suit" in Wednesday’s ballot to decide where the expanded tournament will be staged. The FA "has not made a final decision" over whether to cast its vote for the U.S.-led bid or that of Morocco ahead of a presentation by both bid teams at a meeting of UEFA members on Tuesday. But barring a "dramatic development," English football’s governing body is "all but certain to support the United bid" at FIFA's annual congress in Moscow. The Welsh FA is planning to vote the same way following presentations made to each of the home nations by each bid team last week (TELEGRAPH, 6/11).
CLOSING ARGUMENTS: The AP reported leaders of the North American and Moroccan bids "are pitching their plans to FIFA voters." Both candidates in Wednesday’s vote spent Monday on a "busy tour of meetings with continental football bodies." FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Fatma Samoura were also scheduled to attend. More than 50 African football federations heard from the bidders at a Moscow hotel. A few federations -- including Liberia, Namibia and Zimbabwe -- pledged to support the United bid "instead of their Confederation of African Football colleague Morocco" (AP, 6/11).
FREEDOM OF CHOICE: The AP also reported FIFA's "newest vice president" said that voters from the Oceania region "should be free to make their own choice" in Wednesday's vote for the 2026 World Cup host. The 11 voting federations from the South Pacific formed one of six continental groups that met North American and Morocco bid leaders Monday. The candidate presentations began minutes after Lambert Maltock was picked as Oceania's new president. Oceania "is often viewed as a likely voting bloc in FIFA elections, though Maltock expects to issue no order" (AP, 6/11).
