By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – Amid accusations of double-standards and favouritism, FIFA has staged a rare u-turn by lifting its ban on member federations and regions publicly endorsing one or other of the two candidates bidding to stage the 2026 World Cup – provided both bidders are given the same opportunities to promote their credentials.
Earlier this week, this website published leaked correspondence from the FIFA’s ethics committee to secretary general Fatma Samoura softening her previous hard-line stance with regard to strict neutrality ahead of the vote in Moscow on June 13.
The new guidelines were apparently issued (but not, at the time, publicly) on the very day the head of the three-nation United States, Canada and Mexico bid team, Sunil Gulati, made a presentation to the annual congress of the 14-nation Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) in Johannesburg.
The United 2026 team had gained written permission from FIFA but underdogs Morocco were nevertheless infuriated having been banned at the last moment from promoting their rival bid in front of the full African confederation a couple of weeks earlier in Casablanca. Confederation of African Football President Ahmad, was equally frustrated at being stopped from backing his own continent’s bid.
The two conflicting cases fuelled speculation that FIFA president Gianni Infantino is favouring the US-led bid given that 2026 will be the first World Cup to contain 48 teams.
Now, having originally ordered officials not to openly discuss the merits of either bid, FIFA have changed direction in a letter to member associations on the rules of conduct.
“All public statements by football officials in support of one bidder are admissible provided that they meet the underlying principles of ethical behaviour,” Samoura said in the letter which contained some of the same wording earlier leaked to Insideworldfootball. “They shall be limited to genuine support for the preferred bidder and contain no statements against the competitive bidder or requests for bloc voting.”
“Officials shall consider whether, from a commonsense perspective, the nature and form of a statement can be considered as ‘fair’ and ‘not unduly influencing the bidding process.”’
Crucially given what happened (or didn’t as the case may be) in Casablanca and Johannesburg, Samoura told member nations that “presentations by bidders will be allowed at meetings of regional associations, groupings of member associations and individual member associations.”
Even more crucially, federations cannot invite a single bid to present to them at any meeting, notably including regional confederation congresses such as Cosafa, in order to ensure that “principles of fairness and transparency are respected.” It is understood Morocco were not invited to speak at the Cosafa gathering.
“Please also accept the offer of a presentation by the competitive bidder, offering both bidders the same format and attendance,” Samoura added.
Samoura made it clear that presentations at full confederation summits are only to be allowed in the week ahead of FIFA Congress in Moscow (though few, if any, have been scheduled so far) but acknowledged that the previous rules were “questioned by members of the football community.”
Too late of course for Morocco as far as Cosafa is concerned but an important clarification for the last few months of campaigning and lobbying.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1731601918labto1731601918ofdlr1731601918owedi1731601918sni@w1731601918ahsra1731601918w.wer1731601918dna1731601918