In 2026 the US and Mexico will take the lead with their Canadian neighbours in hosting the World Cup. While the football people in those countries will have only a limited role in the organising (FIFA want to do everything themselves, it’s their ball apparently), to most people worldwide the perception will be that the countries are hosting.
Part of that global perception within the global football community will be tied up with how the national teams perform.
If the current results of the US and Mexican national teams are to be a guide, it could be a pretty dismal outcome for them. The traditional big dogs of the Concacaf confederation have both failed to get to the quarter finals of the Copa America, currently being played in the USA.
Instead, regional rivals Canada and Panama have qualified from the groups.
The recriminations and finger pointing have been quick to start in Mexico and the US who both fancy themselves as football superpowers. Frankly, with the resources, leagues and players they have, they should be.
But they aren’t and they look to be going the wrong way as the greatest show on earth heads for their countries.
Rather than look inwardly and analyse their own problems there has been a bubbling undercurrent, much of it in the local media, that points the blame at their regional confederation Concacaf with the feeling that it is not competitive enough.
Not big enough for their giant egos, perhaps. But bleating about competitiveness holds little attention or sympathy when you have just been well beaten – and somehow uncompetitive Canada and Panama did get through the groups to compete with South America and amongst the world’s best.
The view that Concacaf can’t provide enough good competition for its top nations is somewhat old school, oldie worldy. The reality is more likely that Mexico and the US are old school, stuck in their ways and systems that never really managed to compete head-to-head with the top Europeans and South…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/07/03/inside-editorial-2026-closing-mexico-us-look-away/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-07-03 10:14:20
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