Co-host FIFA World Cup to cut costs

THE recent proposal by US Soccer Federation head Sunil Gulati that the football federations of Canada, USA and Mexico (Cusam) co-host the football World Cup in 2026 is a move in the right direction and could herald more continental and regional World Cups in the future. It would also mean an increase in the number of finalists in future world cups as well as help cope with spiralling costs.

It has come to light that both the World Cup and the Olympics are becoming too expensive and bankrupting the host nations as well as triggering political and economic problems. Some of the enthusiastic prospective bidders are known to make a quick U-turn when the reality of the expenses are known, and some governments and city corporations back down considering that even the initial outlay for preparing for the bid by consultants will cost tens of millions of dollars. Many of them feel that the socio-economics of hosting out-weighs the transitory ‘feel good’ effect it brings. Even sponsorships in the World Cup are drying out as the Russian organisers of the 2018 World Cup are finding out, after the FIFA corruption scandals last year.