体坛英语新闻：Mexico, Canada, U.S. planning joint bid for 2026 World Cup

MEXICO CITY, April 6 (Xinhua) -- A senior official from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) confirmed Thursday that Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are planning a joint bid for the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking to the Guardian ahead of Concacaf's annual congress, the association's president, Victor Montagliani, said, "Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are aiming for a joint bid. The idea has been around for a while. Discussions are continuing and it is a very exciting proposition if it comes to fruition."

According to Montagliani, the countries have been cooperating very well. "We have had nothing but positive remarks about it and it is a very strong sign of what football can do to bring countries together."

FIFA rolled out a new bidding process for the 2026 World Cup in 2016. This means that bids may be prepared from June 2017 to December 2018. FIFA will then evaluate the bids until February 2020, before deciding on the winning bid in May 2020.

According to the Guardian, a Concacaf bid would likely to be a favourite to win the tournament hosting rights, having not done so since the 1994 World Cup in the U.S..