FA chairman Greg Dyke may consider an English bid to host the 2026 World Cup, five years after crashing out of the bidding process to host the 2018 tournament, receiving only two votes, which was awarded to Russia.
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Dyke did say, though, that any decision to make a bid hinges on Sepp Blatter no longer being at the helm of the world governing body of football.
While the FA chairman did he it was possible to persuade him, newly elected FIFA executive committee member and FA vice-chairman David Gill will have his work cut out to prove the new bidding system is scrupulously fair.
Dyke said, “If David can assure us there’s a proper system and it’s fair then we could be persuaded.
“But at the moment the policy is straightforward – we don’t bid while Mr Blatter’s there.”
If Blatter is successful in his bid for re-election as FIFA chairman, he will oversee the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in 2017 at the FIFA congress in Kuala Lumpur.
The FA will hope Wembley’s hosting of Euro 2020’s semi finals and final will lay down foundations to host further major international tournaments, though that could come with Euro 2028, rather than the World Cup.
The USA look favourites to be chosen to host the 2026 World Cup, having narrowly missed out to Qatar for the 2022 tournament, with the final proposed to by on 4th July, the 250th anniversary of American independence.
England’s next opportunity to host the world’s biggest football tournament would likely come in 2034 after that, due to 2030 being the centenary and probably returning to Uruguay, where it began.
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