WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, a resolution introduced by Representative Darin LaHood and fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Soccer Caucus Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), and Rep. Ruben Kihuen (NV-04) passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 392 to 3. This resolution, H.Con.Res. 111, expresses the House of Representative’s support for North America’s united bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“The World Cup is not only the world’s preeminent sporting event, but also a force for promoting sportsmanship and international goodwill. That is why we are proud to have our resolution in support of North America’s united bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup overwhelmingly pass the House of Representatives,” said the co-chairs. “Hosting this event would bring both major economic benefits, and help soccer capitalize on its momentum as one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. We hope that the Senate will also show their support for this united bid in the coming weeks, and that the selection committee will agree that North America is the ideal place for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
“This resolution sends a strong signal to the world that if the United Bid is selected to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. government, at the highest levels, will do its part to guarantee the event will be a major success and that we are ready to welcome players and fans from around the world,” said Carlos Cordeiro, President of U.S. Soccer and Co-Chairman of United 2026. “I want to thank Congressional Soccer Caucus co-chairs Representatives Darin LaHood, Kathy Castor, Don Bacon and Ruben Kihuen for their leadership in securing overwhelming support in the House of Representatives for our United Bid to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be an extraordinary opportunity to grow soccer in America.”
Soccer remains one of the most popular sports in the world and in the United States, where there are an estimated 25 million players nationwide – including over 20% of American children. The FIFA World Cup is an international soccer competition featuring the Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) men’s national teams. The United States previously hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994, and is still considered a success and a catalyst for increased interest in the sport across North America. Its record-setting attendance of over 3.5 million has remained unmatched to this day.
The Congressional Soccer Caucus is an organization of members of Congress who work to promote, educate, and raise awareness on issues, both domestic and international, pertaining to the sport. The Caucus works predominantly with the US Soccer Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to bring soccer to children across the country. Congressman LaHood became a co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus in 2017, hailing from a district with a proud and successful involvement in the sport. This includes youth and high school programs, along with the eight college and university programs across central and west-central Illinois. In addition, Chicago contains the world headquarters for the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Chicago Red Stars, and the Chicago Fire, one of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) original clubs.
