Morocco joins Portugal and Spain in a joint bid to host World Cup 2030
Morocco will join Spain and Portugal in a bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup, replacing Ukraine in the three-way alliance, according to officials.
The transcontinental bid will see the three neighbouring countries in North Africa and Europe host the new 104-game format of the Fifa World Cup in 2030.
Morocco, which finished fourth in Qatar Word Cup 2022, announced on Tuesday that it is joining forces with Spain and Portugal.
'This joint bid, which is unprecedented in football history, will bring together Africa and Europe'
- King Mohammed VI
Initially, Kyiv said in October that it was bidding with the two European countries, but the plan appeared to be dropped with the Russian war on Ukraine having no end in sight.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI announced the bid in a letter, which was read by Sports Minister Chakib Benmoussa in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"This joint bid, which is unprecedented in football history, will bring together Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, and the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds," the letter said.
"It will also bring out the best in all of us – in effect a combination of genius, creativity, experience and means."
Morocco came close to winning a bid to host the World Cup of 2010, but lost to South Africa.
World Cup success
The Moroccan national team defeated Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar but lost in the semi-final against France. They became the first North African nation and first Arab country to reach the semi-finals.
Morocco eventually finished fourth behind Croatia. Last month, it hosted the 2022 Club World Cup.
Other countries joining forces to bid for 2030 are South American countries Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay. The latter hosted the first World Cup finals in 1930.
The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 2026 World Cup, in which a new format of 48 teams will be playing a total of 104 matches, instead of the traditional 64 games.
The new format, which Fifa approved on Tuesday, will feature 12 four-team groups, with the eight best third-placed teams joining the top two in a last-32 knockout round.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
