North American Bid for World Cup Gets High Marks, but Still Needs Votes

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In April, FIFA’s inspectors began on-site evaluations of both candidates. In the months since those visits, the North American bid’s leaders have traveled the globe pushing a message of “certainty” to FIFA members shaken by the organization’s recent crises. U.S. Soccer’s new president, Carlos Cordeiro, even relocated to Europe for most of May, using it as a forward operating base for his global travels.

Morocco’s bid has stressed the North African nation’s passion for soccer, its proximity to Europe, and the aspirational notion that those who oversee the sport should not make decisions based on money alone.

A four-time loser in previous bids to host the World Cup, Morocco acknowledged that the country would need to spend billions to build nine stadiums, and billions more on dozens of hotels, training facilities, highways, rail lines and airport projects. FIFA’s inspectors own concerns during a visit — especially about hotel capacities and stadium readiness — compelled them to make a second visit to the country weeks later.

Yet the simple math of a vote of FIFA’s member associations gives Morocco hope. FIFA has 211 member associations, but the four bidding nations cannot vote on the 2026 hosting rights. A simple majority — 104 of the 207 ballots, if all are cast — would be enough to claim victory.

Morocco can expect broad support from its African neighbors — at 54 associations, the African confederation is FIFA’s second largest behind Europe — and it already has received commitments of support from France, Belgium, Russia and others outside the continent. If it can play up grievances against the United States in the developing world — including insults by President Trump and lingering hard feelings about the United States Justice Department investigation it might be able to cobble together a winning coalition.

The North American effort is expected to receive strong support in Europe and the Americas, and it has found a powerful surrogate in Saudi Arabia, which has helped to arrange meetings with Asian voters and recently announced that it would back the bid. If the Saudis can bring along dozens of votes from Asia’s soccer confederation, that — and the swing of the votes of a few African countries who have declined to support Morocco — could be decisive.



Source : NYtimes