European MPs Urge FIFA to Exclude Dakhla Stadium from 2030 World Cup Bid

By next year, FIFA will select a bid for the 2030 World Cup, between that of Argentina-Chile-Uruguay-Paraguay and that of Spain-Portugal-Morocco and, perhaps, Ukraine. But already, voices are being raised to prevent the organization of matches at the stadium in Dakhla, in the Moroccan Sahara, currently under construction.

According to El Confidencial, 30 European deputies from five parliamentary groups sent a letter on Monday to Giovanni Infantino, the president of FIFA, to remind him that "the holding of international events, such as football matches, in the occupied territories could be contrary to international law" and that "the World Cup cannot contribute to legitimizing an illegal occupation". The signatories of the letter, including eight Spanish MEPs, invite FIFA not to become "an accomplice" to this situation.

For the moment, none of the candidate countries for the organization of the 2030 World Cup have announced the venues for the matches. According to the Moroccan press, the stadium under construction in Dakhla should host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and the World Cup, five years later, in 2030. But aside from the political problem it raises, Dakhla is far from the big cities. The city is 1,615 kilometers from Casablanca and only air travel allows you to get there. The nearest major international airport is in Las Palmas, 704 kilometers away.

On March 14, Morocco, through the voice of its Minister of Education, Chakib Benmoussa, announced the Spain-Portugal-Morocco candidacy for the 2030 World Cup. On July 5, the French sports daily L’Équipe announced that Spain and Portugal are preparing a