NEW YORK, June 14 -- While football fans around the world are waiting for the 2018 Russia World Cup to kick off on Thursday, sports enthusiasts in North America had a big day even earlier.

The United States, Canada and Mexico won their joint bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the 68th FIFA Congress held in Moscow on Wednesday. Steve, 68, a retired U.S. technician, who called himself a devoted football fan, looked animated at the "great news".

During the annual FIFA conference on the eve of the 2018 Russia World Cup, representatives from 200 member federations cast a vote. The joint American candidacy received 134 votes to Morocco's 65 while one member association opted not to choose either candidacy.

"I'm excited for the tourism-based economic surge it will bring to the U.S., " Eric Newell, an Emory University senior told Xinhua. "It will give citizens among the three countries some sense of unity in love of the sport."

It will be the first time that football's flagship tournament will be hosted by three nations, with the majority of games to be held in the United States.

The United States will host 60 of the 80 matches, including all of the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. Mexico and Canada will stage 10 games each.

The United States previously hosted the World Cup in 1994 while Mexico staged the event in 1970 and 1986. It will be the first time the competition is played in Canada. "It's a good idea for a unified bid, but a lot of issues need to be figured out before the event," Jose Smith, 50, told Xinhua, adding that collaboration itself is a big challenge when co-hosting one of the world's biggest sporting spectacles.

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