Good post.
If we are going by football pedigree Mexico deserve it more than the US.
It would be annoying if the US get it before the UK. Comparatively 94 isn't a long time ago in terms of time hosting a tournament.
United States-led 2026 World Cup bid in jeopardy to Morocco's
- Thread starter Man of Leisure
- Start date
If we are going by football pedigree Mexico deserve it more than the US.
It would be annoying if the US get it before the UK. Comparatively 94 isn't a long time ago in terms of time hosting a tournament.
Are you serious or just taking the piss?
What exactly is staggering about this?
That the supremely powerful US hasn’t got a god given right to host the World Cup, right?
As someone who loves the cultural aspect of this sport and its power to integrate people, i would love to see the world cup in football countries like Morocco or Turkey.
Turkey would be mint as well.
The UK needs a World Cup in the near future. It's been too long. Bring football home and all that.
Want the US to get it. I think football could become a massive sport over there. The 94 WC was too soon. It'll never be the sport, or one of the top three, but it can definitely attract a wider participation rate.
Do Morocco have the infrastructure for such a big event or are they going to waste a ton of public money for stadiums that won't find use again like Brazil? Its always cool to see big events staged in new countries.
It is already challenging Baseball in popularity and participation has been high for a while.
A WC in the next decade could tip the balance then. The US playing at a really high level would make the game more interesting globally.
Yeah Turkey would be an amazing World Cup.
Morocco or UK for me.
Wouldn't mind it being the States at all. Last one they held was brilliant.
Terrible, terrible assumption. Ronaldo's bestie is Morroccan and he (Ronaldo) flies down there sometimes twice a week! Morrocco is a very popular tourist destination.
Spot on.
When the feck are we going to get the fecker 
A multi-millionaire flying there twice a week means nothing. It's not like they hang out as day to day tourists riding on public transportation. They probably chill in some mansion and flying on a private jet from place to place.
It already is a massive sport. Even in 94, it's the most attended World Cup despite having less games.
Would love to have a couple of games in Toronto.
Morocco is a popular tourist destination. If I had an option to go to Morocco or the US for my next vacation, I'd definitely choose Morocco. It is funny that people are assuming that everybody wants a World Cup in the US.
Fair enough, but it's still an unpopular opinion. The US is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourists. Statistically most people would prefer the US as a vacation destination over Morocco.
Nothing against the US getting it again, but I’d support Morroco since they’ve got a proper football culture and have been unlucky not to get it in the past in 1994 and 1998, whereas we’ve only had 5 World Cups since it was last in the states.
The US makes sense as a potential host infrastructure wise obviously - advanced, modern nation, English-speaking, culturally renowned etc, but Morocco would have a lot of strong points - while the execution hasn't been particularly great recently in regards to Qatar, I do like the idea of FIFA trying to take the World Cup to new places, and Morocco seems like somewhere that'd be a bit different but which would also be able to cope with a World Cup, and which would be relatively safe for travelling fans.
I do kind of feel like it might suit for each World Cup to have a 'theme' of sort for applications, so as to ensure some of them aren't wasting their time. If FIFA are determined to pursue a brand new location for a certain World Cup, for example, then they should state that outright and save established nations the hassle of applying. They should do similar for the inverse situation, when they do want it to be at an already established location with infrastructure and the like already built and ready to go.
I do kind of feel like it might suit for each World Cup to have a 'theme' of sort for applications, so as to ensure some of them aren't wasting their time. If FIFA are determined to pursue a brand new location for a certain World Cup, for example, then they should state that outright and save established nations the hassle of applying. They should do similar for the inverse situation, when they do want it to be at an already established location with infrastructure and the like already built and ready to go.
If it comes to the US and there's a match (or two or three) near where I'm residing at the time, I'll throw a party at mi casa for any traveling Caf members.
That sounds like a good idea, but unfortunately FIFA have been handing the WC to the highest bidder in cash, going by Russia and Qatar. Maybe the levels of corruption went down since Blatter was kicked out, but I still believe that FIFA don't give a damn about bringing football to new places or anything like it. All they care about is lining their own pockets.
YES, YES, cut the nose to spite the face. Top idea.
I guess people hate Trump so much they don't mind a world cup in a country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable with months to 3 years in jail. Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 make Trump and his travel ban seem minuscule. Give me a break guys. Russia regularly jails people for dissent and people go "missing". Qatar is literally using slave labor to death.
Oh and clearly they would probably just keep teams in similar regions. Adding the extra teams would be very tough for smaller country like Morocco. They could easily split regions into northwest, southwest, south, southeast and northeast United States. Not even touching Mexico's stadia.
Oh and clearly they would probably just keep teams in similar regions. Adding the extra teams would be very tough for smaller country like Morocco. They could easily split regions into northwest, southwest, south, southeast and northeast United States. Not even touching Mexico's stadia.
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The US obviously have the infrastructure. I would support Morocco though, an African country deserves it and they are one of the most advanced economies in the continent. They like football. Maybe the infrastructure will be a problem, and transportation between cities may be an issue. But why not?
Sorry that is just plain wrong. Of course there is corruption, that is unfortunately a human trait that will never be eradicated, but even there the money feeds down through the ranks and into the economy, local businesses greatly benefit from the influx of tourists and the country itself gains exposure and prestige which increases tourism and business over many years. You are too focused on the headlines to look behind them. All of this applies far far more to developing countries than mature Western countries, giving the WC to the USA will be far less beneficial to the country as a whole than giving it to Morocco where improvements in infrastructure and facilities will have lasting benefits to both the people and economy for a long time to come.
The reason that FIFA want it back in the States so much is because of the money.
The last one there was a massive financial success.
Yes, but in that time France, Germany, Russia got the cup in Europe, while there hasn't been another cup in NA.
Next European WC should be hosted in GB. There's really not many other countries that deserve it now. Maybe another joint Eastern European bid, if that's back.
It's 30-45 mins flight to Lisbon or Spain. Training bases could easily be located there.
But how many countries are there in NA capable of hosting a WC compared to Europe? It's a really poor reason for choosing a host. In this moment in time (and has been for a while) Europe is the heartbeat of football, financially, footballing history and in terms of capability it blows any other other continent out of the water.
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After Russia and Qatar, it's time to accept that there's no hole too sh1t for the World Cup.
Let's all get behind Venezuela 2030 right now.
Let's all get behind Venezuela 2030 right now.
So what ? Should the WC only be going to countries that can stage it perfectly ? Or have amazing infrastructure in place ? How about supporting smaller 3rd world countries that are in actual need of support and not the richest country in the world (well not by per capita but at least by most other measurements) who don't need it, or to peaceful countries that love the sport and deserve our succour to move forward ? I'm not against the USA holding it per se (but they held it as recently as 1994 so WTF) but I'd much prefer to see it a) go to a country who hasn't held it before b) deserves to hold it for their contribution to football (both domestically and internationally) and c) where it will bring the most benefit to the people and country as a whole. Honestly this is a no contest in my eyes.
WC in Morocco would be tremendous fun. Whether a country like that wants to inherit all that debt, who knows. It would help the country build its infrastructure, Tangiers, Marrakech and Casablanca tend to dominate the economy there. Can they host a WC with I don't know how any countries will be involved?
But it would be fabulous. They absolutely love football. Madly.
But it would be fabulous. They absolutely love football. Madly.
Exactly.
It's already got a massive base in schools but the fact is it can't compete with top American sports because overall there are far too few clubs and they don't pay well ... very few look at it as anything more than a participation sport for youngsters and a WC isn't going to change that. It will take decades and decades of steady growth and competing with rich established sports that will fight back.
But again why does wanting them to expand their participation base mean they are more deserving than Morocco ? By virtually any other metric they aren't.
My girlfriend’s
A WC in Morocco would be fantastic though and I would definitely go.
I can’t see that happening. My girlfriend’s father is Moroccan and his family live in Morocco. There is some very real bitterness between those countries due to their past political history.
A WC in Morocco would be fantastic though and I would definitely go.
I'm pretty damn certain that if you calculate visitor numbers as a metric against population or geographic size Morocco would clearly attract more visitors than the USA. The USA only have large aggregate numbers due to a) its size b) it's business community c) investment (real estate especially) and d) educational facilities. If you take visitor numbers from b), c) & d) out of the equation I'd put good money on Morocco being streets ahead (measured per capita against population/size).
As for your second sentence : pure speculation. Again two factors should be taken into account a) size of the country and proximity to population mass and b) many people know nothing of Morocco but it doesn't mean they wouldn't prefer it given the facts and told they can take a 1-2 week vacation, pick one.
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An
Without condoning Russia or Qatar, clearly both were inane (corrupt) choices as hosts, most countries can be held accountable for some form of human rights violations and people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Maybe the USA should spend the money they plan on using for the WC on housing the highest number of homeless and poverty stricken people in the Western world instead. Or using it to fund more police to fight the gangsters kidnapping girls from all over Asia and Eastern Europe to work in American prostitution rings.
And which country in the world accounts for the greatest human trafficking ? Imports the most sex slaves, most drugs and has a horrific record of gun abuse costing an insane number of lives per year (e.g. 10,xxx people killed by handguns alone per year, against numbers in double or very low triple digits in most European and Asian countries) ?
Without condoning Russia or Qatar, clearly both were inane (corrupt) choices as hosts, most countries can be held accountable for some form of human rights violations and people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Maybe the USA should spend the money they plan on using for the WC on housing the highest number of homeless and poverty stricken people in the Western world instead. Or using it to fund more police to fight the gangsters kidnapping girls from all over Asia and Eastern Europe to work in American prostitution rings.
Can someone explain to me how a country with a lower GDP than the likes of Ireland and Finland is somehow going to put the billions together that's required for this?
The idea that stadiums won't be used after a world cup in Morocco is BS.
People are crazy compare Morocco with Qatar.
Morocco is a football mad country and their local clubs have a decent following.
Not even talking about the exposure it would go them an their economy.
People are crazy compare Morocco with Qatar.
Morocco is a football mad country and their local clubs have a decent following.
Not even talking about the exposure it would go them an their economy.
Why don't you leave that to them.