President Bill Clinton, honorary chairman of the USA Bid Committee, will speak on behalf of the United States' bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup when the U.S. delegation makes its final presentation to the FIFA Executive Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 1, in Zurich, Switzerland.
"I'm pleased to stand on behalf of our nation for something as important and meaningful to the American people and citizens throughout the world as the FIFA World Cup," President Clinton said. "I am committed to this effort because I have seen firsthand the powerful unifying force of the FIFA World Cup, bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. The USA Bid Committee shares that commitment, and we look forward to expressing that commitment to the FIFA Executive Committee when we meet next month."
President Clinton has been very active in his role as honorary chairman, representing the U.S. earlier this year at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and working closely with the USA Bid Committee's Board of Directors on a variety of initiatives to promote the bid here in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Shortly after being named honorary chairman in May, President Clinton joined U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to welcome the U.S. Men's National Team to the White House and hosted a summit of USA Bid Committee Board of Directors at his Clinton Foundation office in the Harlem area of New York City. While at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, President Clinton met with various FIFA officials and members of the global soccer community, and in Johannesburg he led a contingent of USA Bid Committee officials to meet with the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
"President Clinton has been, and continues to be, the perfect ambassador for the United States and our national bid to bring the FIFA World Cup to the U.S. in 2022," said Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. Soccer and chairman of the USA Bid Committee. "President Clinton's leadership on behalf of our campaign has been extraordinary, and his passion for the game and our opportunity to host the World Cup is every bit as remarkable. We are honored that he will be with us in Zurich on Dec. 1."
Since leaving office, President Clinton has dedicated himself to philanthropy and continued public service through the William J. Clinton Foundation, which is focused on finding practical and measurable solutions to address pressing challenges at home and abroad. In addition to his Foundation work, President Clinton has helped lead recovery efforts for several global natural disasters including the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
The U.S. will make its presentation to the FIFA Executive Committee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 11 a.m. ET (5 p.m. local time in Zurich). The FIFA Executive Committee will vote the following day, Thursday, Dec. 2, with the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 hosts broadcast live 10 a.m. ET (4 p.m. local time in Zurich) on fifa.com.
