FIFA has promised to deliver a “transparent” bidding process for the 2026 World Cup after the controversy surrounding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to Russia and Qatar.
In a column to appear today in the FIFA magazine, the president insists that world football’s governing body has “radically enhanced the mechanisms for selecting the location of their showpiece event”.
“The process is as objective and transparent as it can get,” he added, with aspects such as the bid book content, candidature evaluation reports, votes by each member of the FIFA council, and the final decision of the FIFA congress to be closely monitored.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 nations with the competition set to expand from its current 32-team format.
A final decision on who will host the event is expected to take place in May 2020.
