At least 11 African countries did not vote for Morocco to host the 2026 World Cup.

They are: Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Botswana, Cape Verde and Lesotho are the other countries.

Instead they opted for a joint bid of the United States of America (USA), Mexico and Canada, which eventually won the hosting rights.

Morocco would have been the second African nation to host the tournament, after South Africa did in 2010.

The result was determined by more than 200 national soccer federations, who cast their ballots to cap FIFA’s annual Congress.

The 2026 tournament will feature an expanded field of 48 teams, an increase from the current 32.

It will also mark the first time in FIFA’s history, that a three-nation bid has been awarded the showpiece event.