Morocco achieved an unprecedented achievement in the Qatar World Cup 2022 as the first African country to reach the semi-finals
Morocco has announced that it has joined the request made by Spain and Portugal for a tripartite organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Ukraine, along with Spain and Portugal, made the same request to FIFA last October. It is not yet clear what will happen to Kiev, which is reeling from war after Russia’s invasion last year.
Morocco’s accession as a partner to Spain and Portugal instead of Ukraine may be a result of FIFA’s concerns about the war, and the difficulties that the Ukrainian Football Association may face in managing such a world championship.
And it seems that Morocco is determined to compete strongly, supported by political will, as the Moroccan king said in a message read out by the Minister of National Education, Primary Education and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa, on the occasion of the award of the Excellence Award for the year 2022 from the African Union in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, “I announce to this gathering of you, that the Kingdom of Morocco has decided Together with Spain and Portugal, to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
In his message, the king stated that this joint candidacy, which is considered a precedent in the history of football, will bear the title of linking Africa and Europe, between the north and south of the Mediterranean, and between the African continent, the Arab world and the Euro-Mediterranean space.
He continued, “It will embody the highest meanings of unity around the best of this or that side, and it will bear witness to the concerted efforts of genius, creativity, and the integration of experiences and capabilities.”
It is noteworthy that last September, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Fawzi, announced that his country is studying with Saudi Arabia and Greece to run in a joint file.
And the Saudi Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, confirmed to AFP early last month that his country had not submitted a candidacy file, stressing at the same time that “everything is possible.”
Morocco and the World Cup
Morocco made offers to organize the World Cup before that, and almost won the opportunity to organize the largest football tournament, but it lost to South Africa in 2010.
Morocco ran 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.
In the vote on the next version scheduled for three countries, Morocco received 65 votes from the members of the General Assembly, compared to 134 for the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The African continent hosted the finals once, in 2010 in South Africa, when Spain won its first title.
A surprise to the world
The Moroccan national football team surprised the world when it finished fourth in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, achieving records.
Morocco was the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup before losing to France and occupying fourth place in the tournament after losing to Croatia.
This African country also hosted the Club World Cup in 2022, a tournament that was postponed due to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, last month.
It was also confirmed that FIFA had received several requests to organize the 2030 World Cup, including a request submitted by countries in South America, including Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay, which hosted the World Cup in 1930.
The United States, Mexico and Canada are scheduled to host the World Cup in 2026, with the participation of 48 teams playing 104 matches.