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Rabat – The UK-based sports news outlet, The Athletic, reported that Morocco may enter into a joint bid with Saudi Arabia and Egypt to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Citing a consultation between the Boston Consulting Group and Saudi Arabia, The Athletic suggested that Saudi Arabia is considering the option of presenting a joint bid with Morocco and Egypt to host the 2030 World Cup.
According to The Athletic, both Morocco and Egypt would need to implement “huge infrastructure improvements” and address security concerns.
The chatter about the potential bid comes after Saudi Arabia announced interest in hosting the 2030 World Cup in a joint bid with Italy, the 2020 Euro champion.
FIFA has begun to encourage joint bids as it reduces the financial burden on the host country. In addition, joint bids may serve as examples of strong, political cooperation between two or more countries.
The next joint bid to host the World Cup will be between the US, Mexico, and Canada in 2026. The tournament will feature 48 teams and 80 games total.
If Saudi Arabia enters a joint bid with its fellow MENA partners, the trio would bring millions of dollars to the region. However, World Cups have historically been quite expensive. In 2018, the World Cup in Russia cost an estimated $14.2 billion.
Morocco and Egypt have star footballers playing internationally. Namely, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi (PSG) and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah (Liverpool) are expected to lead their respective teams in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Both teams will need to qualify, along with Saudi Arabia and many other international teams.
