Rabat- Following a massive campaign that portrayed the North American trio as the ideal and "superior bid" to host the 2026 World Cup, there are new concerns about the reported spotlessness of United 2026.
Rabat- Following a massive campaign that portrayed the North American trio as the ideal and “superior bid” to host the 2026 World Cup, there are new concerns about the reported spotlessness of United 2026.
According to a recent ESPN report, in addition to the army of weaknesses that could play against United 2026 in Moscow on June 13, Mexico’s questionable suitability to host World Cup matches marks yet another slap in the face for the North American trio.
According to the preliminary observations of the FIFA Task Force, the supposedly ideal bidder is not as “ideal” as we thought after all. It has two big flaws: the pervasiveness of organized crime and the threat of violence directed at female football fans, as well as prevailing human rights abuses in Mexico City and elsewhere in the country.
Even Ergon Associates, the human rights advocacy group that prepared parts of United 2026’s bidding document, pinned down various security concerns regarding Mexico’s suitability to host ten World Cup games.
“The majority of women in Mexico City have experienced some form of sexual violence [including verbal harassment and unwanted touching] in their daily commute,” Ergon wrote in the document it prepared for United 2026.
In addition to gendered violence in public, there are also indications of anti-gay chants and slurs in packed stadiums during matches. The document further elaborated on the availability of “several documented reports of violence” directed at varying groups, including reporters and women, among others.
Citing many instances of murder and verbal and physical threats against reporters, Ergon said that Mexico “is one of the world’s most dangerous places.”
But Mexico is not the only source of the trio’s diminishing hopes of winning the hearts and minds of the footballing community. In this regard, Ergon also indicated that poor international support for Trump’s America could prove a major hindrance in convincing federations to lend United 2026 their support.
While the US would to host all games from the quarter finals onwards should United 2026 win on June 13, Ergon notes that there are “reports [in the US] of law enforcement unfairly targeting minorities and migrants,” as well as “potential discrimination and travel restrictions from certain states.”
Effectively, if United 2026 is victorious, many football fans will not be able to witness the tournament’s quarterfinals matches, due to their countries of origin.
So, President Trump’s so-called “Muslim ban” and the recent US bill requiring the social media history of US visa applicants could also weigh in favor of Morocco’s bid in the footballing community.
With Morocco increasingly portrayed as the ‘darling’ or the favorite bid of many national federations and an overwhelming number of football stars, the only probable obstacle remains the assessment of the Task Force.
Next week, it will be Morocco’s turn to endure the stringent scrutiny of FIFA’s trusted experts. Taking into account the growing unpopularity of United 2026, should Morocco successfully pass the Task Force, the balance seems to be ineluctably swinging in Morocco’s favor.
