FIFA 2022 World Cup Could Be The Last World Cup Hosted By A Single Country

According to FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar could be the last World Cup to be staged in a single country.

Victor Montagliani, the FIFA vice president and also the president of the CONCACAF region which includes the United States, Mexico, and his native Canada, the three co-hosts of the 2026 tournament, talked about several topics over the course of a 30-minute interview and said that this could be the last World Cup to be staged in a single country, Fox Sports reported.

"I don't think you'll see another World Cup held in one country again," Montagliani said.

"This is just me guessing, but I don't. Not because one country can't host it. The U.S. easily could. But the reality is that collaboration is always better. It cements ties with your neighbors politically and economically, and it's easier to go to a government when they're not carrying the whole load. It works on so many levels."

Meanwhile, Ukraine joined the existing Portugal-Spain bid for the 2030 World Cup in October. Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay also announced a joint bid effort to host the 2030 World Cup last month. Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia are also reportedly considering a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

"If you look at where these teams are, we're all building for 2026," he said. "Canada and the U.S. are very young teams. I think Costa Rica is also likely to refresh itself after this World Cup. And Mexico is kind of in between that, to be honest. They have some good young talent, obviously. So, they're looking at 2026 as well."

Montagliani confirmed that the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will automatically qualify for 2026 as hosts. They'll play a few high-stakes matches between now and then.

"We're working with our three host countries to align our calendars to give them enough space not just for friendlies but for proper competitions," he said. We're always open to hosting big events in CONCACAF."

The venues for the 2026 World Cup were announced earlier in June. Montagliani added that the venues for specific matches such as the opener and the final should be determined by early 2024 at the latest.

"It's going to be a busy few years leading up to 2026," he said with a smile. "We're excited."