Executive leadership of the United Soccer Leagues offered their praise on Wednesday morning for FIFA’s decision to select the United 2026 bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The FIFA Membership made the absolute right choice in awarding the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the United Bid,” said USL Chief Executive Officer Alec Papadakis. “We send our heartfelt congratulations to the heads of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association and Federación Mexicana de Fútbol who led this process, and to the members and staff who worked tirelessly to achieve this goal for their countries. We look forward to welcoming the world eight years from now for what will be the biggest and best World Cup in the tournament’s storied history.”

The United bid earned 67 percent of the ballot, defeating Morocco for the right to host to the largest sporting event in the world in eight years as the tournament returns to North America for the first time since it was held in the United States in 1994.

“The awarding of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the United Bid represents a huge step forward into a new era of North American soccer and we congratulate those involved with the bid on this fantastic achievement after so much effort,” said PDL Co-Director Chris Madden. “For over 20 years, the PDL has played a vital role in the development of many U.S. Men’s National Team players. With alumni such as DeAndre Yedlin, Jozy Altidore and Joshua Sargent, we look forward to seeing the next generation of athletes coming through the PDL to continue to impact the USMNT for years to come, including during the 2026 World Cup on home soil.”