The Moroccan Football Federation has written to FIFA to complain about US territories being allowed to vote to decide the 2026 World Cup hosts, according to the BBC. Morocco are bidding to host the tournament, against a joint proposal from the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are able to vote on 13 June, but Morocco claim that is a conflict of interests.
The 2026 World Cup finals will be the first to feature 48 teams.
The BBC has learned the Moroccan FA first wrote to Fifa on 26 April, explaining that residents of Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are US citizens while those of American Samoa are US nationals.
It has now asked Fifa to inform the US territories of their inability to vote in order to allow for a fair bidding procedure.
The race to win the 2026 World Cup hosting rights is thought to be close. Very close.
Every vote counts, hence why Morocco want the four FIFA members prevented from having a vote given they are US territories.
The matter shows no sign of being resolved amicably so it may be that the issue isn't settled now until the day of the ballot.
The Moroccan bid team first flagged this issue up to FIFA on April 26 and football’s world governing body wrote back three weeks later to say it was up to the delegates from each member association to declare a conflict of interest themselves but none had done so.
The relevant clause in the bidding rules is 4.2 and it states: “In the event that a delegate of the FIFA Congress has a conflict of interest, such delegates shall not perform their duties in connection with, and the member association represented by such delegate shall decline to participate in, the voting process of the FIFA Congress for the decision to award the right for the hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
