Morocco considers Arab football boycott over president’s comments

Turki Al-Sheikh, President of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) [Franco Stechina/Twitter]

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation is considering a boycott of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) after statements made by its President, Turki Al-Sheikh, regarding Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Al-Sheikh used Twitter to hint that Saudi Arabia might not support Rabat’s candidacy.

“Nobody has asked for our support for 2026,” he wrote. “If we were asked, we will only look for Saudi Arabia’s interest first.”

In another tweet, the UAFA official said, “If you want support, Riyadh is the place, what you do is wasting time.” This was a reference to Morocco’s relations with Qatar.

Morocco is running against a joint bid by the USA, Canada and Mexico to host the World Cup in 2026. A decision is expected in June this year.

Read: Morocco blasts FIFA’s last minute changes to World Cup hosting criteria

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