Morocco will compete for the right to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
The news on Tuesday was made through a proclamation signed by King Mohammed VI and read at a meeting of the Confederation of African Football. This further casts doubt on Ukraine’s involvement in the bid.
“The Kingdom of Morocco has agreed, along with Spain and Portugal, to launch a joint candidacy to host the 2030 World Cup,” the announcement read.
“This combined bid, which will unite Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, the African, Arab, and Euro-Mediterranean worlds, is unmatched in football history. It will actually combine intelligence, creativity, experience, and means to bring out the best in each of us.
After losing the vote for the 2026 tournament, Morocco agreed to participate in the 2030 bid more than four years ago. Although it had long been in discussions with the Iberian countries, it was never formally a part of the bid.
Ukraine, which is not likely to remain in the bid, joined Spain and Portugal in their long-running bid for European membership in October.
The Portuguese and Moroccan football federations will meet in Kigali on Wednesday, according to a spokeswoman for the Spanish football federation who did not mention Ukraine.
“The Kingdom of Morocco has agreed, along with Spain and Portugal, to launch a joint candidacy to host the 2030 World Cup,” the announcement read. “This combined bid, which will unite Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, the African, Arab, and Euro-Mediterranean worlds, is unmatched in football history. It will actually combine intelligence, creativity, experience, and means to bring out the best in each of us.
At the tournament in Qatar last year, Morocco shocked everyone by becoming the first Arab and African team to advance to the semifinals, where they fell to France. Morocco ultimately came in behind Croatia in the standings.
FIFA’s Club World Cup was held in Morocco in February of this year.
In September 2024, the hosts of the 2030 World Cup are anticipated to be chosen. The presumptive favorites for co-hosting were South American and European bids.
Uruguay, which hosted the first World Cup in 1930, is a partner in a centennial bid with Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.
Co-hosting of the World Cup has happened before. South Korea and Japan split the competition in 2002. The competition will take place in the US, Mexico, and Canada in 2026.
The 2026 World Cup will have 48 teams instead of 32, and it will feature 104 matches overall, up from 64 in Qatar last year, according to the structure FIFA announced on Tuesday.
