African delegates are keen for FIFA to reintroduce a rotation system for World Cup hosting after Morocco failed to land the 2026 World Cup. The North Africans lost out to the triple bid from Canada, Mexico and United States at the Fifa Congress in Russia last Wednesday by 134 to 65.
By the time the 2026 World Cup take place, Africa will have hosted just one of 23 World Cups – while Mexico alone will have hosted three. South Africa are the only African country to have hosted the World Cup and this only came about after football’s world governing body specifically introduced a rotation system in 2001 in response to South Africa’s narrow defeat to stage the 2006 World Cup. It was abandoned in 2007 after Africa had been awarded the 2010 finals.
“There is inequality in the status of countries around the world so you need laws that will allow the tournament to rotate. You saw the margin of the vote – there was no way Morocco was going to win. We should ask for an amendment to the bidding process that would allow rotation to come back,” said Liberia FA president Musa Bility.