Morocco would need to spend almost $16 billion to prepare to host the 2026 World Cup, with every proposed stadium and training ground built from scratch or renovated, the bid said Saturday.

With less than three months to go until the FIFA vote, the north African nation presented the first significant details of its proposal to take on the joint bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The North American bid plans to rely on existing infrastructure, including large NFL stadiums already hosting events.

For the first time, a high-risk bid that does not meet FIFA's expectations on facilities and profit can be disqualified before the governing body's congress votes on June 13.

When FIFA officials score the bids , infrastructure — of which half relates to stadiums — will account for 70 percent of the panel's mark. The remaining 30 percent is based on projected costs and revenues.

For $3 billion, Morocco said it can build nine stadiums, refurbish five others and build or renovate 130 training grounds. That is part of the $12.6 billion in public investment that also requires hospital services being upgraded in 20 cities and transport networks improved for the World Cup after the jump from 32 to 48 participating nations.

The bid said another $3.2 billion of private investment is required to build hotels containing around 30,000 rooms.

Morocco's bid team told The Associated Press the projections had been "carefully costed" but could not provide a breakdown on how the figures were reached.

Nine new stadiums are planned, including a 93,000-capacity home for the national team in Casablanca that would stage the opening game and final in 2026.

Stadiums would also be built in Oujda (45,600) and Tetouan (45,600), organizers said. New arenas to fit around 46,000 fans are planned in Casablanca, Marrakech, El Jadida, Meknes, Nador and Ouarzazate with the intention of downsizing them to unspecified capacities after the World Cup.

The five existing stadiums that need upgrading are in Marrakech (95,565), Agadir (46,048), Fez (46,092), Rabat (46,500) and Tangier (65,000).

Morocco has mounted four unsuccessful World Cup bids, most recently for the 2010 tournament, while the United States was host in 1994 and was beaten in the vote for the 2022 event.

The North American bid included 23 cities , including 17 in the United States, in documents submitted to FIFA on Friday.

Sixty games would be played in the U.S. under the bid plan, including all from the quarterfinals on. Three cities were included from Mexico and Canada, who would stage 10 games each.

Although the U.S. has a substantial stock of existing stadiums, the bid's plans were rocked last week by three cities dropping out citing burdensome financial demands by FIFA.

Vancouver was rejected as a Canadian option because it refused to comply with FIFA's requirements that include tax waivers and putting agreements under Swiss law.

 

THE CAMPAIGN

The United States-led bid, which includes Canada and Mexico as minority partners, hoped to be awarded the hosting rights to one of the biggest events in sports without facing a challenge.

The FIFA Council had other ideas at a meeting last May, giving Morocco a chance to prevent a coronation.

But while the Americans opened their official campaign in April, the Moroccans did not launch theirs in public until January.

Morocco's bid has been cloaked in secrecy: the international communications team declined to send The Associated Press a copy of the media pack being distributed domestically.

It contained no specific details on the construction requirements and mis-states that 17 people were wounded, rather than killed, in a 2011 Marrakesh bombing in a section seeking to offer assurances on safety.

While the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994 before failing to land 2022, Morocco has been unsuccessful four times.

Moroccan officials express irritation when pressed on bribery allegations surrounding its 2010 World Cup campaign that form part of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United States.

Morocco will be hoping the American investigations into FIFA deter voters from taking the World Cup to a country so determined to expose wrongdoing within soccer. Inflammatory comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that have offended parts of the world could also work in Morocco's favor.

FIFA has faced criticism from the home city of the U.S. Soccer Federation. Chicago refused to sign up to the bid because it believed the tax waivers and legal provisions required pose a risk to the city and shareholders. Vancouver, which hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup final, said its bid was rejected because it refused to comply with FIFA's requirements that include putting agreements under Swiss law.

 

THE PROPOSITION

The bids offer distinctive proposals. Is FIFA in the mood for another gamble?

Morocco poses more logistical challenges and risks for FIFA, which will be coming off a complex tournament in Qatar in 2022.

There's significant building work required to upgrade stadiums. The largest venue, in Casablanca, has a capacity of 67,000, whereas FIFA will want a venue with at least 80,000 seats for the opening game and final. Only five other stadiums have a capacity in excess of 40,000.

North America is the easy option. The U.S. would host 60 games in venues requiring only minor construction work, such as hospitality and media facilities, and is touting three stadiums with more than 87,000 seats.

Canada and Mexico, which has the 87,523-capacity Azteca Stadium, will settle for 10 matches each up to the round of 16.

North America will be hoping voters are dazzled by its financial proposition. It's certainly more favorable for FIFA, which is trying to return to profitability after being hit by the cost of corruption scandals, and the governing body could secure more funds to redistribute to member nations.

FIFA would earn $300 million more from the North American broadcasters if the 2026 World Cup is played in the region under the terms of contracts negotiated to stave off legal action for shifting the dates of the 2022 tournament in Qatar to November, where it overlaps with the NFL and college football seasons.

 

FIFA'S TAKE

As chief commercial officer at FIFA, Philippe Le Floc'h is responsible for replenishing coffers. That largely requires squeezing cash out of corporate sponsors and maximizing television revenue.

With 48 teams and 80 games to accommodate for the first time, Le Floc'h pointed out "the size and the magnitude" of North America's proposition helps.

"It would have some commercial attraction," Le Floc'h said. "It has got infrastructure. They have got massive stadiums because they are used for American Football. So on the pure hospitality point, potentially, we might have more revenues."

Remaining publicly impartial, Le Floc'h highlighted how Morocco is in "the perfect time zone for Europe and Asia" television audiences.

"There are other ways to generate revenues," he said, "and the time zone in Morocco could help us."

 

TASK FORCE

In 2010, the now-discredited FIFA executive committee all but ignored the FIFA-produced technical reports that identified Russia and Qatar as the highest-risk bids among nine candidates.

Now a restyled five-man task force, dominated by European officials, will make inspection visits, then grade and score the bids.

Those marks could play a key role in the contest.

Since the panel includes FIFA's deputy general secretaries — Zvonimir Boban of Croatia and Marco Villiger of Switzerland — it could prove highly contentious if a bid is disqualified. FIFA's Council must approve the verdict of the task force before the Congress votes.

 

SCORING THE BIDS

Infrastructure, of which half relates to stadiums, accounts for 70 percent of the panel's mark. The remaining 30 percent is based on projected costs and revenues.

"The scores have a bearing on whether or not a bid qualifies for the next stage of the bidding process, with bids shortlisted by the FIFA Council," according to FIFA.

In a scoring system of 0 to 5 — where 0 means is "no requirements met/very weak" and 5 is "requirements exceeded/excellent" — a bid must average a total of 2, or "minimum requirements met/sufficient," to be approved ahead of the vote.

In addition, bids must score at least 2 for the individual aspects of stadiums, teams and referee facilities, plus accommodation and transport links.

Failure to score 2 from the task force means a bid "has been evaluated as 'high risk' and represents a material failure," a FIFA bid regulations document states, whereupon "FIFA shall terminate this Bidding Registration."

 

VOTING

Up to 207 of the 211 member federations will vote on June 13 in Moscow, with the four bidding members excluded.

In aiming for transparency, FIFA's pledge to publish the choice of each member could affect the voting. The secret ballot in presidential elections allows members to vote freely and defy orders from regional or continental leaders.

Sepp Blatter was president when FIFA last voted on men's World Cup hosts. While championing Morocco, Blatter questions whether it can count on all 53 votes from Africa.

"Africa is not always united," Blatter said. But he believes the Americans are "afraid ... and give the impression that they are not any longer very sure that they will win."