Unlike expectations, a member of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), the continental governing body for association football in North America, which includes Central America and the Caribbean region, has publically announced that it is supporting the Moroccan bid to host the 2026 World Cup, reports The Inside World Football on Tuesday. St Lucia's decision was made public by its Development and Sports Minister Edmund Estephane last week. The Caribbean island added its voice to other European, African and Asian federations that preferred to back the North African Kingdom's fifth bid. Right after meeting the Moroccan ambassador to Saint Lucia, Estephane declared that his «country's government will be strong and will back Morocco's bid 200 percent, which will do justice and honor the African continent and the Caribbean countries». Saint Lucia's support waters the speculations, suggesting that CONCACAF might not «vote as a bloc in favor of the three-nation US-Canada-Mexico 2026 World Cup bid», said the same source. For the record, to host the international competition Morocco will need 104 votes. It is the fifth time that the country bids for organizing such event after its failed attempts in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010.
