NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The United States, Mexico and Canada on Monday announced a joint bid to stage the 2026 World Cup, aiming to become the first three-way co-hosts in the history of FIFA’s showpiece tournament.

US Soccer Federation chief Sunil Gulati, who announced the bid in New York with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, insisted they had the full backing of President Donald Trump, despite the US leader’s rocky relations with Mexico.

Gulati said 60 of the tournament’s matches would be staged in the United States, with Canada and Mexico hosting 10 games each. The United States would host all knockout games from the quarter-finals onwards, he added.

He played down the possibility that politics could hamper the bid, emphasising that Trump was “especially pleased” with Mexico’s involvement.

“The president of the US is fully supportive… We are not at all concerned at some of the concerns that some people may raise,” Gulati said.

Trump was elected last year after a campaign marked by rhetoric against Mexico, vowing to build a wall to keep out illegal immigrants he branded “criminals” and “rapists.”

The joint bid will start as the heavy early favourite in the race, despite United States prosecutors leading the probe into football corruption which rocked the sport in 2015 and led to the downfall of former FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter.