Morocco, Portugal, and Spain Unite to Bid for 2030 World Cup

The presidents of the football federations of Morocco, Portugal and Spain have reaffirmed their interest in hosting the 2030 World Cup and shared their vision of the tournament. "One hundred years after the first FIFA World Cup, the three countries wish to [...] organize an inclusive, innovative and sustainable tournament, in a true spirit of celebration," reads the statement issued by the Moroccan Federation, which sanctioned their meeting held on Saturday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé.

"The 2030 FIFA World Cup in Morocco, Portugal and Spain will be the first men’s World Cup organized on two continents and will focus on strengthening ties between Europe, Africa and the rest of the world," said Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Federation, quoted in the statement, stressing that this "intercontinental tournament will be an opportunity to showcase the diversity of football, promote collaboration between nations and leave a strong social legacy in the three countries and around the world."

Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Federation, said that this 2030 World Cup is "a great moment for us, highly symbolic since it is the centenary of the first edition of the tournament. But 2030 will be much more than a celebration of the past!" And he continued: "Thanks to the ambition and competence of our three federations, we believe that this tournament will mark a paradigm shift in the way major events will be organized in the future. That is our ambition!"

Echoing this, Pedro Rocha, president of the Spanish Football Federation, supports that "this World Cup will be a demonstration of the union of cultures and the promotion of inclusion, diversity and respect." "This will be a World Cup with an important social legacy that will remain in Morocco, Portugal, Spain and around the world. We have a common project that will arouse enthusiasm everywhere. Let’s make sure this dream becomes a reality," he said.