Maldives had backed United States, Canada and Mexico's winning bid to host the Football World Cup in 2026.
The 'United 2026' bid was selected by Fifa member nations, winning 134 votes compared to 65 for Morocco.
The 2026 tournament will be the biggest World Cup ever held - with 48 teams playing 80 matches over 34 days.
Of the 211 Fifa member nations, 200 cast a vote at the 68th Fifa Congress in Moscow on Wednesday, with the winning bid needing a majority of 104.
Both Mexico (1970 and 1986) and the United States (1994) have previously hosted World Cups.
Canada staged the Women's World Cup in 2015.
The tournament will mark the first time a World Cup has been shared by three host nations.
