The Task Force, including FIFA deputy secretary generals Marco Villiger and former Croatian international Zvonimir Boban, has the power to exclude candidates before the vote at the FIFA Congress in Moscow on June 13 takes place if they find their bid does not meet the required criteria.

They were greeted by United 2026 Bid co-chairs and federation Presidents Steven Reed from Canada, Decio de Maria of Mexico and the United States’ Carlos Cordeiro.

The delegation heled a briefing and inspection visit overview before visiting proposed sites in Mexico’s capital.

Estadio Azteca was the centrepiece of the visit to the city, with the venue being the largest stadium in the country.

The stadium is one of only two venues in the world to have hosted two FIFA World Cup finals, having hosted the showpiece occasion in 1970 and 1986.

Originally constructed in 1966, the stadium has had extensive renovation and restoration.

United 2026 state the venue has recorded audiences of more than 107,000 fans for football and 132,000 for boxing in the past.

The venue has a current capacity of 87,523 for the FIFA World Cup, making it the third largest venue listed in the United 2026 bid book.

It has been forecast to host 75,243 at the tournament, with the venue earmarked to host one of the tournament’s opening matches.

The Task Force were also given a tour of Plaza de la Constitución, known as Zócalo, an outdoor city square and proposed FIFA fan festival site.

Zócalo is claimed to be the heart of Mexico City and has been a gathering place since the Aztec times, more recently having hosted public viewings of events including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Major League Baseball Series Festival in 2016.

There was also a visit conducted to one of the proposed team base camps at Centro de Alto Rendimiento.

The Task Force are expected to visit Atlanta, Toronto, New York and New Jersey before next Sunday (April 15).

Following the trip to North America, the Task Force is scheduled to visit Morocco from April 16 to 19, where they will travel to Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Casablanca.

This is considered a key moment in the race following speculation FIFA President Gianni Infantino is trying to eliminate the Moroccan bid as he prefers the joint US, Canadian and Mexican effort.

FIFA has been criticised for the way in which it has conducted the bid process so far, with Morocco claiming world football's governing body changed the scoring system just 24 hours before they officially submitted its attempt.

The changes to the scoring system see infrastructure, including stadia and hotels, account for 70 per cent of the initial score given to a bid before it can qualify to enter the ballot.

FIFA also wants host cities to have a population of at least 250,000 with an airport capacity of 60 million passengers a year.

The maximum distance between the airport and the host city should be 90 minutes.

These new requirements mean a bid needs to score at least two points out of five.

It is claimed this puts Morocco at a disadvantage compared with the North American bid.

A vote to limit the power of the Task Force was held during a FIFA Council meeting in Bogotá last month.

Reports have suggested a vote on the Committee's remit took place in the Colombian capital, with all six African members - including continental President Ahmad - going against Infantino's wishes.

The Task Force was initially set to make a recommendation to FIFA's ruling Council before any decision on whether or not the bids can proceed was made.

It has now been suggested the Council will merely rubber-stamp the verdict of the FIFA Task Force.

Infantino has defended the bid process, insisting FIFA has not changed the rules and that the bid race will be fair and transparent.