The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) Friday appointed London-based VERO Communications as lead international communications and strategy agency for the Morocco 2026 FIFA World Cup bid.
Morocco, along with “United 2026” – a coalition of football federations from Canada (CSA), Mexico (FMF) and the United States (USSF) – have applied to host the marquee quadrennial Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) event to be staged in 2026.
VERO will work closely with Morocco officials to steer international media and social media, and help develop a campaign strategy that will bring the tournament back to Africa for the first time since 2010. Full proposals are due into FIFA March 16 this year with the final vote between the two candidates set for June 13 in Moscow.
United 2026 is considered an overwhelming favorite in the race, proposing that matches will be held mostly in major U.S. cities along with a handful of other locations in Canada and Mexico. United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994 and Mexico staged the event in 1986. Canada has never hosted the men’s tournament.
VERO is set for the formidable challenge, after having helped deliver the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Paris. The niche firm was also instrumental in helping to win Olympic bids for underdogs Rio de Janeiro and PyeongChang to host the 2016 Summer and 2018 Winter Games, respectively.
VERO Chairman Mike Lee said “We are delighted to be joining the Morocco 2026 Bid at this time and look forward to this exciting journey all the way to the FIFA Congress in June.
“Morocco is a truly welcoming country with an authentic passion for football, providing excellent conditions for players, easy for fans to access and get around and all in a single time zone. Its location at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, and East and West, means it also offers FIFA a superb commercial proposition.
“This promises to be a very interesting campaign as a country from Africa seeks the honour to host the most important footballing event on the planet.”
The next FIFA world cup will be staged in Russia this summer and will be contested in Qatar in 2022.
