By Andrew Warshaw
August 14 – As widely anticipated, Morocco has formally decided to take on the three-way candidacy of the United States, Mexico and Canada in a bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
Potential hosts had until August 11 to submit their interest and the Moroccan federation announced close to the deadline that for the fifth time the North African nation had entered the race.
Morocco bid unsuccessfully to stage the 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, the last of those against South Africa.
“The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has officially submitted its candidacy on Friday, August 11, 2017 to organise the World Cup in 2026,” the statement on the federation’s website (www.frmf.ma) said.
“The Federation submitted its application to the relevant committees of the Federation Internationale de Football Association – FIFA – to host this global event.”
Initially there was some speculation that Morocco could launch a challenge in partnership with Iberian neighbours Spain and Portugal who themselves failed to land 2018.
But under FIFA rules, the two previous host confederations – in this case Europe in 2018 and Asia in 2022 – are barred from bidding for 2026. That means Morocco will have to go it alone, a tough ask given the 2026 tournament will be the first to be played with 48 teams.
The Confederation of African Football, which has 54 of FIFA’s 211 member national associations, has said it will support the Moroccan bid. FIFA could decide on the 2026 host as early as June 13 next year at its congress in Moscow on the eve of the World Cup in Russia.
“We’ve always been prepared for the fact that other countries could also decide to bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said U.S. soccer federation president Sunil Gulati. “Competition is good, and overall it shows the value and importance of the World Cup.”
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