Iberia-Morocco bid for the 2030 World Cup.
Morocco announced its intention to join Portugal and Spain in the bid to organize the 2030 World. Minister Chakib Benmoussa read out King Mohammed VI's message at the FIFA Congress in Rwanda, highlighting the importance and innovation of the joint bid.
"This joint bid, which is unprecedented in the history of football, will bring together Africa and Europe, the north and south of the Mediterranean, but also the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds."
“It will also bring out the best in us: with a combination of genius, creativity, experience and means”.
Said Benmoussa, when reading the message of King Mohammed VI.
Chakib Benmoussa 🎙️: "The Kingdom of Morocco has decided, together with Spain and Portugal, to submit the dossier to organize the World Cup in 2030" pic.twitter.com/5BKh9J5EDr
— 11LIONS.NL🦁 (@11LionsNL) March 14, 2023
the Moroccan candidacy
The Moroccan candidacy comes after the suspension of the president of the Football Federation of Ukraine, Andrii Pavelko, on suspicion of corruption. Portugal and Spain initially announced an Iberian candidacy that included Ukraine, but with Pavelko's suspension, the partnership with Ukraine was called into question.
Thus, the two Iberian nations found in Morocco the ideal partnership for the joint candidacy. With the confirmation of a fuller calendar at the World Cup from 2026, the new terms of reference could be distributed among three nations, or four, if Ukraine does not officially withdraw.
With 48 selections in the competition, instead of the usual 32, the logistical demands increase considerably. The inclusion of Morocco in the candidacy facilitates the organization of the event, allowing for a more balanced distribution of games between countries.
The joint candidacy of Portugal, Spain and Morocco faces competition from other proposals, such as the intercontinental (Greece, Egypt and Saudi Arabia) and the South American (Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay).
In this regard, representatives of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) are planning a meeting with leaders of their Spanish and Moroccan counterparts, in Kigali, to discuss the matter. According to a source at the organization, after that meeting, “any news” about this candidacy will be communicated.
political message
The Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, and the leader of the Spanish executive, Pedro Sánchez, highlighted the importance of the joint candidacy as a symbol of the proximity between the two shores of the Mediterranean and between Africa and Europe.
“This joint bid by the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco has a very important message for the world, especially for Africa and Europe”.
“We are two neighboring continents that want to work together”.
“We are not two continents that are distant or that want to wage war against each other”, declared António Costa.
Costa also underlined that:
“The two continents want to celebrate sports together and all the values associated with it: healthy, fair, regulated competition”.
“This is the first time that there is a joint candidacy between the two shores of the Mediterranean, between Africa and Europe”.
"It will certainly help unite what nothing should separate us."
António Costa mentioned that the idea of a joint candidacy between Portugal, Spain and Morocco already existed initially, but could not be implemented due to FIFA regulations, which did not allow the joint organization of championships by countries from different confederations.
However, the FIFA president understood that the regulation should be changed to allow multicontinental candidacies, making it possible to include Morocco in the proposal.
Pedro Sánchez, for his part, stated that he "respects and celebrates" the decision of the three federations to present a joint candidacy, as it improves the chances of victory and sends a "very good positive message". The leader of the Spanish executive highlighted the close relationship between Europe and Africa, especially between the three countries that "share so many things".
What do you think of this candidacy? Does the inclusion of Morocco give more chances of winning? We want to know your opinion, do not hesitate to comment and if you liked the article, share and give a “like/like”.
Picture: © 2023 AFCON
