The Moroccan Football Federation wrote to FIFA to complain about U.S. territories being allowed to vote to decide the 2026 World Cup host, according to the BBC. Morocco is bidding to host the tournament against a joint proposal from the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are able to vote on June 13, but Morocco claims "that is a conflict of interests." The Moroccan FA first wrote to FIFA on April 26, explaining that residents of Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. citizens, while those of American Samoa are U.S. nationals. It asked FIFA to inform the U.S. territories of their "inability to vote in order to allow for a fair bidding procedure" (BBC, 5/23).
'NOT FOR SALE': The AP reported UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has criticized plans for "secretive investors" to buy football tournaments as FIFA President Gianni Infantino promotes a $25B offer from a Saudi Arabia-backed fund. During a European Union policy debate Wednesday on commercialization of elite sport, Ceferin told lawmakers, "Football is not for sale." He said, "I cannot accept that some people, some of our colleagues, who are blinded by the pursuit of profit, are considering to sell the soul of football tournaments to nebulous private funds" (AP, 5/23).
FAN ID SYSTEM: RT reported Russian Football Union Anti-Discrimination Inspector Alexei Smertin said that the FAN ID system, which is "obligatory for all fans" visiting the World Cup, will "help to prevent potential racist incidents at stadiums." Former Chelsea player and Russia captain Smertin spoke about Russia's efforts to "eradicate racism in sport," its preparations for the 2018 World Cup and the Fan ID system which was "successfully tested" at last year's Confederations Cup in Russia. He said, "My top priority as Russia's anti-racism and discrimination inspector is to make sure that all the fans coming to Russia this summer will feel comfortable not only in Moscow and Kazan, where they can find mosques, but also in other host cities such as Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, and Saransk" (RT, 5/22).
WORLD CUP BANK NOTE: EURONEWS' Robert Hackwill reported Russia issued a "special" 100 ruble ($1.63) banknote in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup. The banknote is the "first of its kind in several ways," according to Arkady Trachuk, director general of Goznak, Russia's national mint. It is the first Russian note fully made of polymer substrates and the "first to display a historical figure who was not head of state." It depicts a child holding a football (EURONEWS, 5/23).
