FIFA World Cup 2026 Bid: Morocco To Spend $16 Billion On Infrastructure

Morocco is bidding to become host country of the FIFA World Cup 2026, and intends to spend $16 billion on the necessary infrastructure.

FIFA – FIFA World Cup
Morocco is willing to spend serious money to host the 2026 edition

The only other bid comes from a coalition formed by the United States, Canada and Mexico, which, on paper, already fulfill most of FIFA’s criteria.

As part of a new bidding process, FIFA introduced a task force to score the bids by Morocco and the U.S. coalition. It will be looking particularly at infrastructure, which accounts for 70 percent of its mark. The remaining 30 percent are based on projected costs and revenues.

When talking infrastructure the state of each bidder’s stadiums is the most important factor. And the U.S. is way ahead of the curve, given its large-capacity NFL stadiums, which already fulfill most of FIFA’s requirements, including the amount of luxury seating.

What is more, FIFA dictates that the opening match on June 14 as well as the final on July 15, take place in a 80,000 capacity venue, of which Morocco has none. The country’s largest stadium is located in Casablanca and has capacity of 67,000. The other places Morocco has put forward as host cities include Marrakech, El Jadida, Nador, Rabat, Tanger, Agadir, Tétouan, Fès, Meknès, Oujda and Ouarzazate. Only five stadiums exceed a capacity of 40,000.

The U.S., in comparison, has three stadiums exceeding 87,000 seats, and Mexico has the 87,500 Azteca Stadium. Canada and Mexico would be hosting 10 matches each (of 80 matches in total) up to the round of 16.

According to the Associated Press, “FIFA would earn $300 million more from the North American broadcasters if the 2026 World Cup is played in the region under the terms of contracts negotiated to stave off legal action for shifting the dates of the 2022 tournament in Qatar to November, where it overlaps with the NFL and college football seasons.”

The cash FIFA would make from the host country is a big issue, of course, especially since the number of participating teams has increased to 48 for the first time, bringing the total number of games up to 80. FIFA’s chief commercial officer Philippe Le Floc’h believes the U.S. coalition promises more revenues “on the pure hospitality point.”

Morocco, however, is located in a much more favorable time zone with regards to Europe and Asia, which is where the biggest viewership for the tournament is located. “There are other ways to generate revenues, and the time zone in Morocco could help us,” said Floc’h.

The FIFA task force evaluating the bids is going to score bidders, utilizing a system that ranges between zero and five points for each requirement set forth by the association. The requirements for stadiums, teams, referee facilities, accommodation and transport links need to score at least two points.

Seeing that Morocco has pledged to invest a whooping $16 billion to meet the requirements, the question arises: how much chance does the country stand to win against the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which seem to already be fulfilling most requirements?

It is hard to say how Morocco is planning on spending the money. The country’s communications department refused to provide AP with an international version of the media kit that is being distributed domestically. The original version “contained no specific details on the construction requirements and misstates that 17 people were wounded, rather than killed, in a 2011 Marrakesh bombing in a section seeking to offer assurances on safety,” AP reported.

Once the successful bidders have been determined, up to 207 of FIFA’s 211 member associations are allowed to submit a vote on June 13, one day before this year’s tournament kicks off. FIFA intends to make all votes public.

It’s a new system, introduced last year, after FIFA had been shaken up by several corruption scandals, involving all of the association’s top executives. Up until then, FIFA’s ruling executive had made the decision of where to host the tournament, including the 2022 bid that went to Qatar.