A North American bid to host the 2026 FIFA Word Cup may lose out to Morocco thanks in part to controversial comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an ESPN report.
The Moroccan bid to host the soccer tournament appears to be gaining momentum, according to the report, with the north African nation poised to garner the most votes from its own continent, as well as support from most of Asia and South America.
The report cites unnamed sources who claim the Trump administration’s travel ban — which affects residents of six mostly Muslim countries — as well as the president’s comments about African countries could put the North American bid in jeopardy.
“Anytime anybody has an opportunity to stick it to the Americans, they’ll take it,” said Andre Gerolymatos, co-director of Simon Fraser University’s terrorism risk security studies program. “And this could be one of them.”
One of the Canadian cities taking part in the bid process is Vancouver.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver said inclusion in the North American bid could mean more than $3 billion in cost benefits for the city.
“Billions of people watch soccer,” Gerolymatos said. “Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia — everyone watches. It is the biggest stage. This would have been a real shot in the arm for this city.”
Another factor that may hurt the joint bid by the U.S., Canada and Mexico is that American officials played a key role in investigating corruption within FIFA.
The ESPN article also cites sources who think North America — with its superior facilities and infrastructure — will still come out on top, but the vote may be closer than expected thanks in part to Trump.
“He’s made the United States one of the most unpopular countries in the world,” Gerolymatos said. “And that’s quite a feat when you look at the countries in this world, places like Russia and China.”
Right now, North America and Morocco are the only two bids in the running, but late bids can be accepted until mid-March.
The host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be announced in June.
— With files from Ted Chernecki and The Associated Press