Eric Garcetti has called for the possibility of holding preliminary football matches in Mexico to be considered ©ITG

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is considering plans to hold events in Mexico should his city be awarded the 2024 Olympic Games, he revealed here today. 

Garcetti announced his plan at the end of the three-day visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission. 

He claimed he had already spoken about it with officials in Mexico and claimed it would send a "strong message" of North American solidarity.

Football preliminary matches are the most likely possibility, Garcetti said. 

"We want, if we are able to win in 2024, to do as much of the preliminaries around the the country and this region certainly of California as we can," Garcetti said.

"I’ve even had conversations with some of the Mexican authorities about, hey, can we do something over the border?

"Especially at this time, it would send, I think, a very strong message about how we are connected to one another in North America.

"A lot of work would have to go into that but are very excited to talk about this.

"It would depend on the Federations and some of the sports.

"But whether you did a football or soccer qualifier, or something like that, I think would be fun for us to see if we could spread it out throughout the United States.

"We might even, given the proximity to Mexico, be able to do that right cross the border."

Mexican footballers celebrate their gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics ©Getty Images
Mexican footballers celebrate their gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics ©Getty Images

The IOC's Agenda 2020 reform process allows the theoretical possibility of holding events in two different countries for cost-cutting reasons.

This has not happened since equestrian competitions during the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne took place in Stockholm due to Australian quarentine laws.

The final two races in the 12-foot dinghy sailing competition during the Antwerp 1920 Games also took place in Amsterdam. 

Garcetti's plan is still in its early stages and his announcement today took some members of the Los Angeles 2024 team by surprise.

But Canada, Mexico and the United States officially announced a joint bid last month for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Diplomatic relations between the US and Mexico are strained following the election of Donald Trump as American President last November.

Building a wall along the US-Mexican border in a bid to curb illegal immigration was a key electoral pledge made by Trump. 

Garcetti, a prominent Democrat, who supported Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful campaign to become President, stopped short of directly answering a question about whether Trump could attend the IOC Session in Lima where the 2024 host will be selected.

He did express hope, though, that Trump will soon meet with IOC President Thomas Bach in Washington D.C.

The two spoke by telephone soon after the American was elected President.

"I think the President is willing to play whatever role we ask of him that is needed," Garcetti said.

"He was clear to me about that when we talked in December, whether it is travel or having the IOC President come.

"I think the next step between the IOC and the Executive Branch of America, and what the IOC President was very excited to do, was a sit down in the White House hopefully in the next couple of months.

"We will take it from there."

Donald Trump is expected to soon invite IOC President Thomas Bach to the White House ©Getty Images
Donald Trump is expected to soon invite IOC President Thomas Bach to the White House ©Getty Images

Garcetti claimed Los Angeles 2024 is something that "transcends politics".

He added: "Americans and the American political leader certainly have strong differences that I'm not shy about speaking out about, and the President is not shy about speaking out about.

"We have strong differences politically but there are things that bring us together - and this is one of them.

"Its maybe what makes this even more special and more important right now."

Los Angeles' only rival Paris is due to be inspected by the IOC Evaluation Commission from Sunday (May 14).

A decision on which city will host the Games is due to be made by the IOC at its Session in Lima on September 13.