FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke attends a news conference during his visit to Samara, one of the 2018 World Cup host cities, Russia, June 10, 2015
Corruption, Football, Qatar, Russia, Scandal
FIFA has suspended the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup. The football organization is weathering the storm of a widening corruption scandal that touches on previous selections of host countries.
“Due to the situation, I think it’s nonsense to start any bidding process for the time being. It will be postponed,” FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke told a news conference in the southern Russian city of Samara.
Potential bidders for 2026 include the US, Mexico, Canada and several European countries. Valcke said the process would not be started anew, it was merely suspended.
The host for the tornament is expected to be chosen by the 209 FIFA members in May 2017 at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Details of the new timetable and rules will be sent to member states soon, Valcke said.
Samara is one of the World Cup 2018 host venues. Valcke was visiting the city to see how preparations for the finals are going.