Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has emphasized Morocco’s decisive role in securing the successful joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, dismissing claims that the North African country was merely a secondary partner.
Speaking during a phone interview with Spanish radio station Informa Radio, Rubiales said Morocco was indispensable to the bid’s success.
“Without Morocco, it would have been impossible for Spain to host the World Cup,” he admitted.
Rubiales explained that a joint bid from Spain and Portugal alone would not have gathered enough support within FIFA to win the hosting race.
“Spain and Portugal by themselves would not have obtained the roughly 100 votes needed to host the World Cup. Morocco was essential because we would have been competing against Saudi Arabia, which would have enjoyed the support of the entire Arab world, including Morocco, as well as much of Africa,” he added.
His comments challenge the narrative that Morocco joined the project only as a convenient third partner after Spain and Portugal struggled to strengthen their candidacy.
Following the interview, Rubiales also defended his position on social media, responding directly to users who questioned his remarks after the radio station shared excerpts of the conversation online.
The former federation chief’s statements reinforce the view that Morocco’s growing influence in international football played a key role in the success of the joint bid. Over the past decade, the Kingdom has significantly expanded its football infrastructure, strengthened its diplomatic ties within FIFA and CAF, and emerged as a major host of international tournaments.
Rather than serving as a symbolic addition, Rubiales’ remarks suggest Morocco was a strategic partner whose support helped transform the Spain-Portugal bid into the successful Spain-Portugal-Morocco project that will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
