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Rabat – In an interview with the France-based magazine, Jeune Afrique, Minister of Trade and the Chairman of Morocco’s 2026 World Cup Bid Committee Moulay Hafid Elalamy stated that the bid is an opportunity for Morocco to feature its strengths and specificities.
Elalamy said that the committee has set up a strategy to underscore and better exploit the country’s potential. He added that Morocco’s institutions, both private and the public, will join efforts to win the bid for the 2026 World Cup.
“Morocco has already embarked on a vast and ambitious investment program in the areas of infrastructure and hotel industry that meets the needs of the local population in the first place,” said Elalamy.
The minister’s expectations for Morocco’s bid are very high. According to Elalamy, Morocco has a dozen modern international airports that meet international standards, as well as a road infrastructure comparable to that in Europe.
The first high-speed train will be operational in two to three months, he said.
During the interview, which was reported by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), Elalamy has also discussed Morocco’s readiness to build new stadiums across the country to house matches of the tournament.
“We are also proposing modular stadiums that will continue to operate after the World Cup,” he said, stressing that “no dirham will be spent if it cannot ultimately serve the population.”
The Moroccan official added that this vision will not only help Morocco’s bid, but also serve the Moroccan population. “We have accelerated the pace of public investment for years to upgrade the different Moroccan regions and meet the needs of people, but also to meet the demands of foreign investors.”
Referring to Morocco’s health sector, Elalamy told Jeune Afrique that Morocco has a network of university health centers spread throughout the country, adding that a hospital that meets the needs of the local population will be built in every city that hosts the 2026 World Cup.
Morocco submitted its candidacy to host the tournament on August 11, 2017. The North African country will compete against the three American nations’ joint bid, including the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The host of the 2026 World Cup will be announced next June in Moscow.
