The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) will hold an extraordinary meeting via the Internet, tomorrow, Wednesday, to determine the host countries for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, and to discuss the amended budget for the financial cycle between 2023 and 2026, and the detailed budget for the next two years, 2025 and 2026, and put these items to a vote among its members. .
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), headed by Swiss Gianni Infantino, will announce during its extraordinary meeting that it will officially grant Morocco, Spain and Portugal the honor of organizing the 2030 World Cup finals, after its council had unanimously approved on October 10, 2023, that the joint file between the three aforementioned countries be The only candidacy file to host the 2030 World Cup.
FIFA had praised the tripartite bid of Morocco, Portugal and Spain, hosting the 2030 World Cup finals, in an evaluation report published on its official website, following a comprehensive study of the file, including inspection visits to the concerned candidate countries.
The file for organizing the 2030 World Cup received a rating of 4.2 out of 5, thus meeting the necessary conditions to host the event, as it
FIFA considered this file to exceed the minimum hosting requirements, based on the conclusions reached in the report, and in accordance with the regulations for submitting nomination files and the applicable points system.
Morocco had submitted six stadiums to host the World Cup matches in 2030 in partnership with Spain and Portugal. These include the Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, near Casablanca, the Prince Moulay Abdullah Sports Complex, as well as the Tangier Stadium, the Grand Marrakesh Stadium, the Agadir Stadium, and the Fez Stadium.
From this standpoint, the 2030 World Cup represents an extension of the cultural relations established by the dynamic communication between North and South over centuries of human civilization. If the principle of legacy constitutes one of the most prominent pillars of organizing major sporting events, then the World Cup represents another opportunity for rapprochement, understanding and coexistence between the countries of the Mediterranean. In a world where the margins of tension and indicators of conflict are increasing day after day…
In a world of increasing polarization, Morocco, Spain and Portugal present their joint file with the slogan “Yalla Vamos”/Let’s Go” as an affirmation of the solidarity between the three countries that say they have a common DNA, and seek, through their common World Cup, to unite people, transcend borders, and celebrate our common humanity in accordance with… A vision that strengthens ties between Africa and Europe in a more equitable and just world
This is closely aligned with FIFA’s slogan “Football unites the world,” so if the hosting bid is successful, it will be the first football World Cup to be organized on two, or even three, continents, taking into account the celebration of the centenary of the tournament in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay in South America.
The relations between the three countries have historically been characterized by ebbs and flows, especially between Morocco and Spain. Despite the three countries’ conviction of their importance and that they are strategic and vital for all parties, they have historically known many crises, and before that many wars that left their mark on the memory of their peoples.
The 2030 World Cup file presents a distinguished group of nearly twenty stadiums that are expected to become among the most famous World Cup facilities once they are completed or renovated. Each stadium reflects the unique character and strengths of the host country, and displays a combination of innovation, tradition and global design that promises an unforgettable tournament experience. .
Although the scale of construction projects within the context of a six-year period requires careful monitoring and support where necessary, FIFA experts acknowledged in their final report that many stadium projects have already begun, as is the case in Morocco, where most of them are scheduled to be completed. In time to prepare for the next edition of the African Cup of Nations in late 2025.
Accommodation does not constitute any obstacle for the three countries, as they are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world and have a range of infrastructure and ready-made hotels. The cities nominated to host the matches also have experience in the field of tourism, as well as organizing and accommodating large crowds related to football and other events. Sports such as the European Champions League and the African Cup of Nations, where the three countries guarantee the provision of more than 30,000 hotel facilities and 500,000 rooms in the cities nominated for the organization.
It has become certain that the competition to host the opening and final matches of the 2030 World Cup has become limited to only three stadiums in Morocco and Spain, after Portugal officially announced some time ago that it would not allocate any budgets to develop its current stadiums or build new stadiums.
Of the 20 proposed stadiums located in 17 cities, the competition will be limited to the opening and final matches between the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the Spanish capital, Madrid, which recently underwent a comprehensive modernization, and the Camp Nou Stadium in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, which is currently undergoing development. The future Hassan II in Casablanca
The tripartite offer also includes 94 proposed sites for holding camps for the participating teams, two sites for holding the referees’ camp, and 80 stadiums, while the competition for the international decision-making center will be limited to the cities of Casablanca and Madrid.
The three countries nominated the names of 6 cities to hold the final draw for the World Cup, the FIFA General Assembly, and the workshops for the teams. These include the cities of Rabat, Casablanca, Benguerir, Lisbon, Madrid, and Porto. The proposed time for the finals extends from June 13 to July 21, 2030.
On the other hand, the geographical proximity between the three countries allows a travel time of no more than 3 hours maximum between all host cities, which facilitates the transportation process for organisers, guests, players and fans, as the mentioned cities provide mass transportation systems such as the subway, tram or transportation. Rapid transit by buses, in addition to easy transportation infrastructure. The ferry ports also provide a great alternative for visitors entering the three countries
Perhaps visitors to Morocco recently notice the extent of the transformation witnessed by a group of its major cities, especially those concerned with organizing the World Cup through large workshops open to expand and modernize the transportation and accommodation infrastructure according to a comprehensive strategy.
Based on the data presented in the joint file, the administrations of Mohammed V International Airports in Casablanca and Marrakesh plan to double their capacity to 37 million passengers by 2030, which strengthens the position of these two cities as main gateways to the country.
From a cross-border perspective, the Open Skies Agreement between the European Union and Morocco, which allows airlines from both regions to operate without restrictions on routes, capacity or prices, enhances connectivity and cooperation across the Mediterranean region and provides an excellent logistical basis for the ideal organization of the global sporting event. .
