CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb says he intends to champion the cause of bringing back the showpiece FIFA World Cup to the confederation with the target set for 2026.

The Caymanian, who has had a hectic one year in office as CONCACAF head, said bidding for the 2026 edition of the World Cup will not only be done from a country perspective, but a collective confederation posture will be employed.

“Definitely (we want it back) and 2026 is the target…so by that time it would be 32 years since it has not come to CONCACAF and that is unacceptable, and so we have to look at bidding for the World Cup from a confederation standpoint and not only from a national association standpoint,” said Webb in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

He does expect, as always, the bidding process to be intense and competitive but vowed that CONCACAF will put its best foot forward in this exercise.

“We must do everything in CONCACAF to ensure that CONCACAF host 2026. There was a rotation of the World Cup, which was started years ago and CONCACAF became the biggest losers because when the rotation stopped, it meant that it opened the door for others like Russia and Qatar and so forth to host it.

“But I believe we are committed from a regional standpoint and that all the members should do everything in our remit to ensure that CONCACAF host 2026 World Cup,” he added.

The last time the World Cup came to CONCACAF was back in 1994 when the USA hosted the greatest football show on earth. Before that, the only other national association to host was powerhouse Mexico who did so in 1970 and 1986.

The only other countries to have hosted the tournament twice are Germany, France , Italy and now Brazil who will host 2014.

Up to 2006, the World Cup was awarded on a rotation basis, alternating between the Americas and Europe. The successful bidder was chosen by an exhaustive ballot system by FIFA’s executive committee.

But after controversy swirled around the awarding of the World Cup to Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022, FIFA has backed a motion that will give that voting power to the 209-member countries. CONCACAF has 41 votes.

The newest host selection policy is that any country may bid for a World Cup, provided that their continental confederation has not hosted either of the past two World Cups.

The USA had posted a bid for the 2022 tournament.

Webb, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said while Mexico and USA possess the experience and infrastructure to repeat as host, he viewed Canada as a possibility.

“Canada is an emerging football country with great a market as well and already they were awarded the women’s World Cup, and I believe that with the right infrastructure, more investments from the public and private sectors, it definitely has the possibility for a third participant to bid to host the World Cup,” said Webb.

It is expected that both Canada and Mexico from CONCACAF could make bids for 2026.

Apart from national pride, hosting the World Cup brings enormous benefits to the host nation, both in tangible and intangible ways. The World Cup with its market appeal and global television reach has been an economic bonanza for FIFA and host nations across continents.

Webb not only believes that CONCACAF has the capacity to host major football tournaments, but notes its football growth has positioned it to produce a World Cup winner in the near future.

“I believe that a team from CONCACAF will win the World Cup (some day)… when you look at how Mexico prepared for the Youth World Cup, you ask yourself how is they win at that level and why they can’t do so at the senior level, and that is what we must focus on and work towards. When you look at from a level playing field, yes I believe that (a nation) from CONCACAF will one day win the World Cup,” he said.