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Rabat – As Morocco challenges North America’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup, Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, the ousted president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), said that United States, Canada, and Mexico’s shared bid “does not work.”
In an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP), Blatter said that “if I am to believe the news around the American federation, there is little love lost between the three countries on the political and economic level.”
The former president stressed that the union of the three countries is not functional, explaining that there will be “other candidates,” singling out Morocco.
“It is necessary for Africa to make a move,” said Blatter.
Blatter’s comments come after weeks of controversy about whether US President Donald Trump will withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a corner stone of the region’s economic policy since the Clinton Administration of the early 1990s.
Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF) officially submitted its bid to host the international tournament on August 11, while the US-Mexico-Canada bid was formally announced in April.
“Sepp” Blatter Defies FIFA Ban, Accepts Russian Invite
The 81-year old Swiss is currently serving a six-year ban from participating in FIFA activities, after it was revealed in 2015 that he had approved a GBP 1.35 million payment in 2011 to Michel Platini, the former head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
In July 2017, Blatter said that he received an invitation to the 2018 FIFA World Cup from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although there were initial speculations that Blatter would not attend, he now insists that he will accept President Putin’s invitation to FIFA’s flagship tournament. Platini is also expected to be in attendance.
“The World Cup is a huge celebration of football and all guests will be welcome to attend it, including old friends,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said according to Russian News Agency (TASS). He added that Putin has long been friendly with Blatter and knows Platini well.
