Rabat – Portugal’s left-wing party Livre has called for Morocco to be removed from the joint hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup following the recent migration crisis in Ceuta.
The tournament is set to be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. However, Livre argues that Portugal and Spain should host the event without Morocco.
In an open letter addressed to Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Portuguese Football Federation President Pedro Proença, the party accused Morocco of exploiting vulnerable migrants during the recent mass migration to the Spanish-occupied city of Ceuta.
The five lawmakers from Livre said Morocco’s participation in the tournament had become “unsustainable,” accusing Rabat of violating international law and human rights.
The party claimed that Morocco had played an active role in the mass movement of migrants toward Ceuta. It said the crisis had caused dozens of deaths, citing an earlier toll of 75 people, while the latest figures from Ceuta authorities reportedly put the death toll at 88.
The Ceuta migration crisis saw tens of thousands of people attempt to reach the Spanish-occupied city. Morocco said misinformation shared online and the misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling contributed to the movement by creating false expectations that migrants who reached Ceuta by sea could not be returned. Moroccan authorities said they had mobilized security forces to prevent irregular migration.
Livre, however, said Portugal should not support what it described as the normalization of border violence, human rights violations, and the political exploitation of vulnerable people.
Portugal and Spain only
The party called on the Portuguese and Spanish governments, as well as the European Union and UEFA, to state that Portugal and Spain should remain the only hosts of the 2030 sporting tournament. It also urged the Portuguese government and football federation to work with their Spanish counterparts to develop a common position.
Livre has previously criticized Morocco’s role in hosting the World Cup. During the bidding process, the party raised concerns over Morocco’s “policies” regarding Western Sahara and accused the country of committing long-term human rights violations.
Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP, Livre spokesperson Jorge Pinto described the recent events in Ceuta as “the last straw.” He claimed that the migration crisis was part of a broader pattern of attempts to use migrants for political pressure.
Pinto compared the situation to previous cases involving the governments of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. He also criticized FIFA’s leadership under President Gianni Infantino and questioned the transparency of the process used to select World Cup host countries.
Portugal and Spain initially planned to include Ukraine in their joint bid for the 2030 World Cup. Morocco later joined the bid after the war made it impossible for Ukraine to host matches.
Morocco is currently building the Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca. The planned 115,000-seat stadium is expected to be among the largest football stadiums in the world and could strengthen Morocco’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup final.
