Rabat – Spain has responded to criticism targeting the joint Morocco-Spain-Portugal World Cup amid the Ceuta crossing by reaffirming its commitment to running a successful tournament with the two co-hosts.
Minister for Digital Transition Oscar Lopez said the government remains committed to organizing and hosting together with Morocco and Portugal.
He said the tournament will be a “success.”
He made his remarks this week after he received questions about hostile maneuvers by far-right Vox, which has demanded to exclude Morocco from hosting the tournament.
Earlier this week, Vox parliamentary group submitted a non-binding motion calling for what they described as a review of Morocco’s co-hosting rights for the tournament.
“The extremely serious events that took place in Ceuta on July 30 and 31 have completely shattered the foundations of trust and cooperation on which a shared World Cup bid must necessarily rest,” the party claimed.
Spain’s left-wing coalition partner Sumar made a similar move, requesting Spain not to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Morocco.
In response, Oscar Lopez reiterated Spain has submitted a bid with Portugal and Morocco, which contributed to choosing the dossier.
“Right now, the government is working to ensure that this World Cup is a success and that is the most important thing,” he said.
Former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales echoed the same comments in July, emphasizing Morocco’s decisive role in securing the successful joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
He also dismissed 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.
“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.
