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LONDON. — Morocco’s decision to bid for the 2026 World Cup soccer finals will see the North African country hoping to make it fifth time lucky after some near misses in the past.

Morocco have thrown their hat in the ring against a powerful joint-bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico, and look immediately on the back foot for what will be an expanded 48-team tournament that will stretch their infrastructure to the maximum.

Morocco are the only other nation to bid against the Central and North American trio, and must be viewed as rank outsiders from the start, with around a year to persuade FIFA’s selection committee that can put on the better show.

Primarily, they are also up against geography and politics.

While the last World Cup was on African soil relatively recently in South Africa in 2010. — ESPN.