Rabat – Morocco’s 2026 World Cup bid committee has begun a tour in the Gulf countries to promote the North African candidature in the last days before the June 13 vote.
The Moroccan delegation recently met the president of the General Authority of Emirates Sport, Mohamed Khalfan Erramiti, and the president of the local football federation, Marouane Ben Ghalida.
The delegation includes Secretary of State to the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Digital Economy Rkia Derham; Secretary of State to the Minister of Equipment and Transport Charafat Afilal; member of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) Abdelhamid Souiri; Moroccan former athlete Nezha Bidouan, advisor to FRMF’s president Mohammed Makroouf; and the Ambassador of Morocco to Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Ait Ouali.
After Abu Dhabi, Morocco’s World Cup bid committee flew to Oman, where its members met with the President of the Oman Football Association, Sheikh Salim Al Wahaibi.
The Moroccan bid has received a nod from the FIFA task force, which published its report of the Morocco 2026 and United 2026 bids on Friday evening. On June 13, football associations from around the world will cast their votes for their favorite bid at the 68th FIFA Congress.
The Moroccan bid has received support from several countries, including Botswana, Nigeria, France, Russia, Palestine, Luxembourg, Qatar, Tunisia, Algeria, Belgium, and Saint Lucia.
Earlier this week, the Moroccan bid committee landed in China to promote Morocco 2026. The committee included Chairman of the bid committee Moulay Hafid Elalamy and Moroccan former athlete Hicham El Guerrouj.
The Moroccan bid committee is determined to clinch more votes before the poll, promising a spectacular and magical World Cup in 2026.
Elalamy, who is also Minister of Trade and Investment, has expressed satisfaction over the FIFA task force’s decision to validate the bid on Friday. The minister said that the committee will continue its mission “to demonstrate to FIFA and the global football family, our ability to organize a genuine and profitable FIFA World Cup.”
