2026 World Cup: Morocco Keeps Its Crown

Since the end of March, Senegal had been maneuvering to obtain an express ruling from the judicial body. The objective was to secure a verdict in less than two months, just before the kickoff of the World Cup scheduled in the United States, with the ambition of reclaiming the continental trophy. The categorical refusal from the Moroccan side and the African confederation has dashed these hopes for swift resolution.

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The Moroccan camp justifies this decision by the complexity and gravity of the dispute. The leaders believe that a meticulous examination of arbitral reports, video sequences, and regulatory texts is necessary. This veto, legally unassailable when a case requires in-depth expertise, completely changes the timeline: standard proceedings will span an estimated period of nine to twelve months.

Member of Senegal’s defense team, Tunisian lawyer Hamouda Bouazza conceded that an emergency procedure would have indeed reduced the wait to a maximum of three months, but this required unanimous agreement from all three parties involved. Facing this impasse, Senegal is now forced to exercise patience.

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The legal expert outlines the three only possible outcomes to this long judicial marathon. The court can confirm the decision of the appeals commission crowning Morocco and removing Senegal, annul this choice to restore the title to the Senegalese, or modify the verdict by imposing other sanctions on the Senegalese camp. The expert formally rules out, however, the hypothesis of replaying the final, as the legal conditions are not met.