Eleven African countries voted for the joint North American bid of the US, Canada and Mexico, who will host the 2026 finals. MOSCOW - Morocco’s hopes of hosting the 2026 World Cup foundered on the failure to secure a united African vote as the country lost in its fifth attempt to stage the global event, the north African country’s bid team said on Wednesday. The defections will also come as a blow to Confederation of African Football president Ahmad, who had promised Morocco a united front and travelled extensively in recent weeks to try to fix emerging cracks. Saudi Arabia also surprisingly voted for the North American bid but Morocco did garner support from Brazil, France and Italy, while Cuba and Spain abstained and Iran registered a vote for ‘neither bid’. North Korea voted for Morocco despite the positive summit in Singapore this week between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 13, 2018 14:37 UTC