Spanish Media Expresses Dismay as FIFA Validates Morocco’s Territorial Map in World Cup 2030 Bid

Doha – The recent FIFA technical evaluation report for the 2030 World Cup bid has, as expected, acknowledged Morocco’s territorial integrity. This has particularly agitated El Independiente newspaper and its journalist Francisco Carrión, known for their antagonistic stance on Moroccan affairs.

Carrión, who authored the “critical” piece, was last September subject to a formal complaint by Morocco’s Interim Committee for the Management of Press and Publishing Affairs to Spain’s Journalistic Ethics Committee for his derogatory remarks about Moroccan journalists on social media.

The FIFA report, released in late November, comes as a validation of Morocco’s legitimate position, despite attempts by certain Spanish media outlets to question the territorial representation.

This development is particularly significant given Spain’s official recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara since April 2022, a diplomatic milestone that reshaped relations between the two countries.

The controversy originally emerged following the joint World Cup bid book presentation last summer, where Morocco’s complete territorial map was included with the agreement of all three federations – Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Sources within the Spanish Football Federation, cited by El Independiente, confirmed that the decision to accept the map was reached during joint committee meetings with representatives from all three countries.

Notably, the Spanish federation defended its position, saying that “it was a football map, not a political one,” and that “the Moroccan federation administers all sports-related matters in the territory.”

This pragmatic approach aligns with the current diplomatic reality and FIFA’s recognition of Morocco’s football jurisdiction over the region.

The FIFA report’s cartographic representation serves as another official recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity, following similar acknowledgments from various international bodies and Spain’s own diplomatic stance.

This has evidently caused discomfort among certain Spanish media circles that continue to question established diplomatic positions.

The Spanish newspaper’s frustration extends beyond the mapping issue to Morocco’s growing influence in the tripartite bid.

This was particularly evident in their reporting of the FIFA technical evaluation of the proposed Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, which received the same technical rating (4.3) as Spain’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou stadiums.

El Independiente’s coverage attempted to downplay the Moroccan stadium’s significance by repeatedly emphasizing its unbuilt status, referring to it as “a stadium on paper” and “without being built.”

However, FIFA’s technical report presents a markedly different assessment, describing it as “an ambitious new construction project that plans to create the world’s largest capacity football stadium, with modern infrastructure and facilities.”

The FIFA report specifically highlights the stadium’s 115,000-seat capacity, which “far exceeds the minimum requirement of 80,000 seats for an opening match and/or final.”

The international football body’s evaluation noted that during their September inspection visit, the local team demonstrated “a thorough understanding of requirements” and presented “well-organized maps highlighting key areas.”

The Spanish media’s concern appears to stem from Morocco’s growing prominence in the joint bid. Sources from the Spanish federation, quoted by El Independiente, acknowledged “some discomfort with Rabat’s appetite for prominence” but attributed this to Morocco’s governmental structure, where decisions are made with royal oversight.

Just yesterday, King Mohammed VI chaired a Ministerial Council focused on World Cup preparations, where Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa presented FIFA’s positive evaluation of Morocco’s bid. The King ordered the creation of an expanded committee to oversee the country’s ambitious infrastructure development plans.

Despite attempts to frame the Casablanca stadium project negatively, FIFA’s technical report confirms that “the available space in the stadium precinct for overlay and temporary infrastructure is expected to meet requirements.”

The report further validates that “key spaces such as the broadcast compound and parking areas meet requirements, and there appears to be sufficient space to reconfigure them if needed.”

The construction timeline for the Grand Stade Hassan II, set to be completed by late 2028, has been deemed feasible by FIFA’s evaluation team.

The stadium is planned as the centerpiece of a 100-hectare urban sports complex, designed to host both major international competitions and serve as the home ground for two of Morocco’s premier football clubs, Raja Club Athletic and Wydad Athletic Club.

El Independiente’s coverage reflects ongoing tensions in Spanish media regarding Morocco’s enhanced role in the World Cup bid, particularly following Morocco’s late inclusion in the candidacy, replacing Ukraine.

The newspaper’s reporting style and emphasis on certain aspects of the bid suggest an underlying unease with Morocco’s growing influence in what was originally a European-led initiative.

The final decision regarding which stadium will host the opening match and final of the 2030 World Cup is expected around 2028, according to sources quoted in the Spanish newspaper.

Until then, the technical evaluation’s equal rating of the three main stadiums leaves the competition wide open, despite apparent attempts by some Spanish media to suggest otherwise.