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Rabat – Following a series of hints and speculations, Saudi Arabia has officially voiced its support for the North American bid to host the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Head of the Saudi Sports Authority Turki Al-Sheikh announced Saudi Arabia’s support in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Zurich on Monday.
“We gave our word to the Americans,” he said.
He justified Saudi Arabia’s decision, saying “We weighed the issue and, in the end, we went with what was in the best interest of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Saudi Arabia has been opposed the Moroccan bid by arranging meetings between the United 2026 bid committee and other Gulf countries. Prior to the official decision, Al Sheikh made it clear that his country would vote for Saudi Arabia’s “strongest ally.”
In an interview given to CNN in May, the Saudi official announced that the US is Saudi Arabia’s “biggest and strongest ally.”
He also reiterated that his country’s interests come before anything else.
Morocco’s 202 World Cup bid is facing fierce competition from the United 2026 bid to host the 23rd World Cup tournament in 2026. On June 13, more than 200 football associations will vote for their favorite candidate during the 68th FIFA Congress, which will take place in Russia.
the FIFA task force that evaluates the bids, gave the Moroccan bid the green light to move to the ballot on June 1.
The Moroccan bid has received the support of many countries from different corners of the world, including Russia, Serbia, Luxembourg, Botswana, Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, France, and Nigeria.
