Kristik hired to run North American World Cup bid
The National Federations of Canada, Mexico and the United States have officially formed a United Bid Committee to kick off the bidding process to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to North America.
John Kristick, a managing director of the failed U.S. bid to host the 2022 World Cup and a former executive of FIFA marketing partner Infront Sports & Media, has been hired as executive director for the United Bid Committee of the U.S., Mexico and Canada to host the 2026 tournament.
“We are thrilled to kick off the bid process with our partners from Canada and Mexico. This is a special opportunity for North America to unite behind our sport of soccer and the quest to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Sunil Gulati, chairman of the United Bid Committee. “The United Bid Committee has the experience and resources to deliver a successful bid, but it will require an enormous team effort over the next eight and half months so we can demonstrate to FIFA the full potential of our three nations and partners in CONCACAF to put on the finest World Cup in history.”
Kristik was executive director at Infront, where he worked from 2001-08, then was managing director of bid planning and operations for the USA Bid Committee from 2009-11. He has worked in recent years for ESP Properties, an advisory company.
Jim Brown was hired as the United Bid Committee’s managing director of technical operations, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday. Canada Soccer General Secretary Peter Montopoli has been appointed Canada bid director and Televisa vice president Yon De Luisa as Mexico bid director.
The UBC’s 10-member board includes CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani, who is from Canada, and Sunil Gulati, Don Garber, Dan Flynn, Carlos Cordeiro and Donna Shalala (U.S.); Peter Montopoli and Steven Reed (Canada); and Decio De Maria and Guillermo Cantu (Mexico). Gulati, the USSF president and a FIFA executive council member, is the chairman.
The formal bid was announced in April and is to be submitted to FIFA by March 16. The bid proposes that the expanded 48-nation tournament have 60 games in the U.S., including all from the quarterfinals on, and 10 each in Mexico and Canada. FIFA is set to make the decision in May 2020.
Nations must indicate an intent to bid to FIFA by Aug. 11.
