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Rabat – The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) are studying the possibility of adding Morocco to their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, Spanish sports outlet AS reported.
The two European countries were initially set to submit a joint bid with Ukraine. However, the East European country’s participation as a host became uncertain due to an ongoing case of alleged corruption involving Ukraine’s Football Federation (UAF).
This pushed Spain and Portugal to look for a replacement, and who is a better candidate than their North African neighbor which is located only 14 kilometers from southern Europe?
In October 2022, football officials from Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine announced in a press conference that the East European country had joined the Iberian bid to host the global tournament in 2030.
Speaking at the conference, President of the Ukrainian Football Federation Andriy Pavelko said that the move was “the dream of millions of Ukrainian fans … The dream of people who survived the horrors of war or are still in the occupied territories, over which the Ukrainian flag will surely fly soon.”
Meanwhile, the President of Spain’s Football Federation Luis Rubiales celebrated the new addition, saying: “Now it’s not the Iberian bid, it’s the European bid.”
Read also: 2030 World Cup: Leaks Indicate FIFA Chief Was in Favor of Morocco Joint Bid
However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sanctioned the move. In addition, Pavelko has been under investigation for fraud and money laundering, AS reported, adding that he has been suspended until the case is resolved.
The Spanish outlet indicated that Morocco’s inclusion in the Iberian bid will be “exhaustively negotiated in the coming days and weeks,” but the North African country’s inclusion depends on the outcomes of Ukraine’s alleged corruption case.
Following Morocco’s outstanding performance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the country’s Football Federation (FRMF) reiterated its interest in hosting the 2030 World Cup. “We wanted this organization to be shared between the African continent and the European continent,” said FRMF’s President Fouzi Lekjaa.
The 2030 bid marks Morocco’s sixth attempt to host the global tournament after five unsuccessful bids in 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010, and 2026.
The North African country, which has outstanding infrastructure and organizational capabilities, has hosted other major football events in recent years, including the Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in 2022 and the Club World Cup in February 2023.
