Morocco plans to spend $15.8bn to host 2026 Soccer World Cup
Morocco has proposed using 14 stadiums and budgeting to spend 15.8
billion dollars on infrastructure if it wins the right–to-host the
World-Cup-soccer-finals in 2026, the country’s bid committee announced
at a news conference on Saturday.
But Morocco will not build any
new stadiums for the tournament, preferring to renovate and modify
existing venues and add temporary capacity to others, said candidature
chairman Moulay Hafid Elalamy.
Elalamy is also a government minister.
The
country is up against a joint-bid from Canada, Mexico and the United
States when world-soccer governing body FIFA’s member countries decide
in Moscow on June 13 who will host the tournament eight years from now.
Morocco have promised a "compact" tournament if they are named the host nation for the 2026 World Cup.— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 17, 2018
Read more 👉 https://t.co/CvrsEVyUKo pic.twitter.com/oDhOOG6wIK
Saturday’s news conference revealed details of Morocco’s bid book.
The
book was presented to FIFA on Friday, with the central theme being
making their football infrastructure sustainable after the tournament
and keeping down construction costs.
At
least five stadiums, termed legacy modular stadiums and with largely
temporary capacity, will be downscaled after the finals to meet the
specific needs of their local communities.
Casablanca and
Marrakech will both have two stadiums with other venues being the
capital Rabat, Agadir, El Jadida, Fez, Meknes, Nador, Ouarzazate Oujda,
Tangier and Tetouan.
“The World Cup is a national priority for our
government and that is why it has guaranteed the required investment in
our exciting and innovative stadium plans,” added Elalamy.
“Our
beautiful and welcoming nation offers players and fans something very
special with just one time zone, one currency and all host-cities are
within a 550km radius from Casablanca, meaning limited-travel and
simple-logistics.
“All host cities are also all located within an
hour’s drive of an airport, so players and fans need only focus on the
one thing that matters most – football.”
Morocco bid unsuccessfully to stage the 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
The country was second to the United States in ‘94, behind France in ‘98 and just lost out to South Africa for the 2010 finals, the only time the event has been held in Africa.
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