Morocco is bidding to host the 2030 World Cup jointly with Spain and Portugal
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI announced Tuesday that Spain and Portugal will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, in a letter to the African Football Confederation (CAF).
In his message, King Mohammed VI said that his country “has decided to co-run with Spain and Portugal to organize the 2030 FIFA World Cup”, adding that “this joint nomination, which is considered a precedent in the history of football, will be the link between Africa and Europe, between the northern and southern Mediterranean, between the African continent, the Arab world and the Euro-Mediterranean space”.
“This candidacy will embody the highest meaning of healing around the best of one side or the other, and will stand as a testament to the combined efforts of genius, creativity, and the integration of expertise and capabilities,” he said.
“The Kingdom of Morocco has proved on many occasions, with concrete action, that it is putting its capabilities, infrastructure and experience, especially in the field of football, at the disposal of all brotherly African countries wishing to turn young people into a pillar of hope and growth, ” he added, noting that “his ambition for his country is intrinsically matched only by his ambition for the African continent.”
Rabat announced the presentation of the joint file during the honoring of King Mohammed VI and his winning of the Outstanding Achievement Award for 2022 presented by Patrice Motsibi, president of the African Football Confederation (CAF), Tuesday in Rwanda, while King Mohammed VI appointed Minister of National Education, Education and Sport Chakib Benmoussa to receive the award.
Speaking on behalf of King Mohammed VI after receiving the award, Benmoussa announced his country’s intention to make the offer. “This joint offer will be titled ‘Linking Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean Countries’,” he said.
“I remain attached to the conviction expressed in my speech on the occasion of the 29th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in 2017, in which I stressed that the future of Africa remains dependent on its youth and that a youth-oriented, voluntary policy can focus energies on development, ” the Moroccan monarch said.
“As much as Moroccan football honored the African continent during the last World Cup in Qatar, it has upheld the human values of perseverance, selflessness and pushing people’s capabilities to the limit, ” he said. “These are the values that we were keen to establish by including sports in education,” he said. “We are trying to expand the base of practice of football in particular, to free up our energies, and to keep up with the discovered talent in the appropriate training and qualification.”
“Football in the Kingdom of Morocco is a pillar of success and a pillar of sustainable human development, ” he said, noting that “while it is a game that captures the hearts of millions and reflects creative energy, it is also based on a future vision, a long-term commitment, effective and transparent governance, infrastructure investment and human capital.”
“This award which is given to me today is, first and foremost, a tribute to the genius of Africa and its brilliant youth,” he said. “For me, it represents an acknowledgement of the choices I made to create the conditions that will allow me to project and advance this genius, because football is not only a sport, but it is the fruit of continuous building and work.”
The decision to run jointly with Spain and Portugal comes as Morocco is undergoing a quantum leap at all levels and is undergoing rapid development in its infrastructure amid political and security stability, making it eligible to host the largest sporting events in the world.
Morocco has previously nominated five times to host the World Cup, but its attempts failed in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010 and 2026, most notably in 1998 when it won 7 votes against 12 for France and in 2010 when it won 10 votes against 14 for South Africa.
The Moroccan national football team achieved a wonderful result in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, when it became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals by defeating Spain and Portugal before falling in the semi-finals against France.
In 2021, Spain and Portugal announced their intention to bid for the World Cup, before Ukraine was added to the joint file in October 2022. FIFA is expected to announce the identity of the host in 2024.
Since its inception in 1930, one version of the World Cup has been held in two countries, in 2002 in South Korea and Japan. The United States, Mexico and Canada will host the next edition in 2026. This is the first time that 48 teams will compete against 32 previously.
