Vancouver officially in running to host 2026 World Cup matches
Seven Canadian cities step forward in early stages of united bid by Canada, USA and Mexico
Vancouver is one of seven Canadian cities vying to be part of the joint North American bid to host the FIFA Men's World Cup in 2026.
Canada, U.S.A., and Mexico are working together to secure the tournament and have submitted a long list of 44 potential host cities.
"Vancouver is a world-class host city that has successfully hosted many international sporting events including the 2010 Winter Olympics, the HSBC Rugby World Sevens Series and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup," said Mayor Gregor Robertson.
FIFA 2026 will be the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams and, if the tournament is award to North America, 10 matches will be held in Canada.
Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, and Toronto are also in the running to host games.
Organizers of the united North American bid will announce a shortlist of at least 12 host cities by late September.
All stadiums in the running are required to have at least 40,000 seats for group stage matches, and a capacity of at least 80,000 to be considered for the opening match and the final.
Morocco is the only other location that has announced it will also bid to host the 2026 World Cup.
A FIFA congress wil choose the winner in June of 2018.