Morocco is renewing interest in hosting the 2030 World Cup, potentially alongside neighbours Spain and Portugal, the Associated Press has reported.
“We wanted this organization to be shared between the African continent and the European continent,” Head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa told the AP, expressing interest in hosting the 2030 edition of the global showpiece.
A shared Afro-European bid would help in showing “the world that the relationship between Africa and Europe is not only the relationship of illegal immigration and the fight against it,” he argued, describing the relationship between the two continents as one “in which civilizations can meet and cultures meet.”
The Moroccan national team’s success at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar seems to have only strengthened the nation’s will to host the competition someday, having captured the entire world’s attention with captivating performances.
There is no concrete proposal for the bid yet, which would be the first-ever multi-continent World Cup.
Morocco’s geographic proximity with Spain and Portugal sits at the core of the bid’s appeal. Joint-hosted World Cups are also making a comeback, with the 2026 edition set to be hosted in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
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So far only one World Cup has been held in two countries, with South Korea and Japan co-hosted the 2002 edition.
After Morocco lost the rights to host several times before, The Associated Press reported, Lekjaa’s vastly improved position within FIFA’s ranks could also boost the multi-continent bid’s chances of success. The Moroccan official became an African elected delegate on the FIFA’s ruling Council in 2021.
Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals of this year’s World Cup also seems to have established the country as one with a proud, important footballing history and community in the eyes of the world.
FIFA has yet to announce a timetable for the 2030 bids but is expected to make a decision in 2024. The 2030 World Cup will mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament.
Uruguay, the hosts of the original 1930 edition, are also planning a joint host with Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning a bid with Egypt and Greece, in what would be an unprecedented three-continent competition.