A Long Road Back to the World Cup
The quest to restore the United States to the world stage in soccer began in earnest in 2007, when a coalition of officials, investors and former players started mapping a realistic bid for a future tournament. At the helm of that effort was Sunil Gulati, who had led U.S. Soccer from 2006 to 2018 and carried the institutional memory of the 1994 World Cup that had sparked the creation of Major League Soccer.
The 1994 tournament proved that a World Cup could thrive on American soil, drawing record crowds and igniting a youth soccer boom. Yet the subsequent bid for the 2022 edition fell short, losing to Qatar in a vote that hinged on three pivotal European delegates. The defeat underscored how geopolitics and financial considerations could outweigh technical merit.
Scandal, Reform, and a New Governance Era
The 2015 FIFA corruption scandal sent shockwaves through world football, exposing a fractured governance structure and prompting sweeping reforms. Gulati played a decisive role in the election of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, a move he believed would bring transparency and a more equitable bidding process. The episode also led to the removal of a national‑level local organizing committee for the 2026 tournament, a first for a men’s World Cup.
With the United States, Canada and Mexico poised to co‑host the 2026 World Cup, the trio will rely on a patchwork of regional committees rather than a single national body. This decentralized model presents both logistical challenges and opportunities for host cities to tailor the event to local cultures and economies.
A New Era for Host Cities
Gulati sees the 2026 tournament as a catalyst for greater attention to soccer across the continent, especially in cities like Philadelphia, which already boasts a passionate fan base and a history of hosting major matches. He argues that the exposure will translate into long‑term benefits for grassroots programs, infrastructure investment and the sport’s cultural footprint.
While the road has been strewn with setbacks — from the loss in 2022 to the upheaval of the 2015 scandal — Gulati remains optimistic. He believes the joint hosting arrangement, combined with the reforms instituted after the scandal, will finally deliver the World Cup to North America in a way that honors the sport’s growing popularity and the ambitions of those who have worked for decades to make it a reality.