Mexico's Football Federation president Decio de Maria has reaffirmed his country's desire to bid for the 2026 World Cup, whether with another country or alone.
De Maria, who was elected vice president of Mexico's Olympic Committee on Thursday, said that the idea of Mexico co-hosting in a 2026 bid was received well by the federation's executive committee in their last meeting.
De Maria said that as far as he was concerned, the executive committee was sending a clear message.
"I don't know [whether we would pursue a joint bid] but the rules are already open to it," he told ESPN. "What was agreed upon makes the path perfectly clear.
"Mexico will be in the hunt to host the 2026 World Cup," he said.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has unveiled plans to increase the number of teams at the tournament by 16, which would reduce the pool of countries with sufficient infrastructure to host the finals.
He also added that Mexico will seek to host the U-20 World Cup as well.
"We have had a bid ready for that event for a long time and are just waiting for the process to open in 2019," he said.
The World Cup was last staged in the CONCACAF region by the United States in 1994. The U.S. is keen on hosting again in 2026, potentially linking up with Canada and Mexico.
CONCACAF hopes that expanding the World Cup to 48 teams will enhance North America's credentials in the 2026 bidding contest.
"Is there an opportunity to combine the three countries? Perhaps. We don't know that yet," Montagliani, a FIFA vice president, added. "There have been zero formal discussions. We are not there yet."