Morocco to offer small-scale World Cup

The north African nation faces tough competition from a joint bid between the USA, Canada and Mexico, but they have promised that the travel times will be much improved.

One of the main issues with a three-nation tournament would be the great distances needed to be covered, but in Morocco all stadiums would be within 350 miles of Casablanca, the main city. 

They have also promised a 'Legacy Modular Stadium' concept which would see stadiums downsized after the tournament. 

The 2026 World Cup will see 48 nations, and over half of them would be within three hours of Morocco's timezone, making it an attractive location for the big European nations and their sponsors. 

Morocco has bid for the tournament five times, losing out previously in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010. The USA hosted the World Cup in 1994 while Mexico has hosted twice in 1970 and 1986.