North America 2026 World Cup Bid Outscores 'High Risk' Morocco Proposal

As North America looks to win the bid to host the 2026 World Cup, it may have received a big boost Friday in the form of FIFA's inspection evaluation report.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), the joint North American bid by the United States, Mexico and Canada easily outscored Morocco, whose proposal was deemed to be a "high risk."

Per The Salt Lake Tribune, the North American bid scored a 402 out of 500 while Morocco totaled just 275 of 500. On a scale that goes up to five, North America received a 4.0 overall whereas Morocco was handed a 2.7.

"The amount of new infrastructure required for the Morocco 2026 bid to become reality cannot be overstated. The Morocco 2026 bid and United 2026 bid represent two almost opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the nature of their bids," a FIFA report read.

North America's "United" bid received zero flags and, thanks to its current infrastructure, it was deemed to have "a clear lead" to "push new boundaries in terms of sports-related technology and engagement."

Out of 20 categories, the United bid had 17 low-risk areas, with government support, human rights and labor standards, and organizing costs as the only medium-risk areas. Meanwhile, Morocco had three high-risk areas, 10 medium-risks and seven low-risks.

Morocco is said to need to spend $16 billion to create the infrastructure—including building or renovating all 14 required stadiums—to support the biggest sporting event in the world. The United bid, on the other hand, does not have to build anything specifically for the tournament. North America also held a huge edge in forecast revenue, $14.3 billion to $7.2 billion.

The 2026 World Cup will mark the first time the field will expand from 32 teams to 48. As a result, FIFA has raised its standards for the host nation(s).

June 10 marks the next big date for the candidates as the FIFA Council will meet in Moscow to decide whether or not to approve the bids. Then, it will be up to a 207-member vote on June 13 to determine the winner.