Morocco looks to be front-runner for 2026 World Cup bid: report
Sources tell ESPN North American bid that includes Canada might not have the votes
Canada's joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup is running into stiff opposition from Morocco.
ESPN reports the African nation appears to be the front-runner over the North American bid of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
With voting coming up just before the World Cup begins on June 14, there are doubts the North American bid will get the votes needed to win out over Morocco.
Late bids can come in before March 14, but for now, it's North America and Morocco, and according to ESPN, one source has Africa, parts of Asia and South America going for Morocco, so the North American bid would need to counter with parts of Europe, parts of Asia and Oceania in its corner.
The prospective host nations can't vote and Guatemala is suspended, meaning the winning bidder needs 104 votes out of the 211 member nations.
The North American plan would see 60 games played in the United States, 10 in Canada and 10 in Mexico. The quarter-finals, semifinals and final all would be held in the United States.