FIFA is set to confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cups on Wednesday, with a three-continent, six-nation bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal to be awarded the former and the latter going to Saudi Arabia.

In October last year, the global soccer governing body said there were no competing bids for the two tournaments, making Wednesday’s decision little more than a formality.

A day before the announcement it was still not clear exactly what format a vote on the decision would adopt, with acceptance by “acclamation” expected rather than a formal vote.

On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would vote against the awarding of hosting rights by acclamation and criticised FIFA’s bidding process, saying it was “flawed and inconsistent”.

BIDS

Morocco, Spain and Portugal’s combined proposal will see the 2030 World Cup take place across three continents and six countries to mark the tournament’s centenary, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting celebratory games.

Uruguay hosted the first ever World Cup in 1930.

Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay had in 2022 submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, but FIFA announced last year that Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay would instead each host one match during the tournament.

Saudi Arabia will become the second nation from the Middle East to host the quadrennial tournament in 2034, 12 years after neighbours Qatar staged the 2022 edition.

Australia and Indonesia were in talks over a joint bid for the 2034 tournament, but dropped out before Saudi was announced as the sole bidder.

HURDLES

Both bids have already been criticised.

The decision to host the 2030 World Cup across three continents has been panned by climate activists because of the increased emissions from the extra travel required.

FIFA has said it will take measures to “mitigate the environmental impact“.

The 2034 bid by Saudi Arabia has been criticised because of the country’s human rights record and desert climate, much in the same way as the Qatar World Cup.

The Saudi climate will likely force FIFA to hold the tournament in the Northern Hemisphere winter, just like it did in Qatar, where the event took place from late November to mid-December.

That timeframe will coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with reports now suggesting the 2034 tournament could be held in January instead, risking a clash with the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

FIFA said the Saudi bid did not stipulate a proposed window and that they would collaborate with stakeholders to “determine the optimal timing”.

HUMAN RIGHTS

A World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also spark debate about the Kingdom’s record on human rights and lead to accusations of ‘sportswashing’.

Amnesty International and the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) last month urged FIFA to halt the process to pick Saudi as hosts unless it announces major reforms before the vote.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, although critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, allege it is using its Public Investment Fund to sportswash its human rights record.

The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

Hammad Albalawi, head of Saudi Arabia’s bid, told Reuters this month that the country has made significant progress in human rights.

-Reuters

The recent FIFA technical evaluation report for the 2030 World Cup bid acknowledged Morocco’s territorial integrity, as expected.

According to Morocco World News, the FIFA report, released in late November, validates Morocco’s legitimate position despite attempts by certain Spanish media outlets to question the territorial representation.

This development is particularly significant given Spain’s official recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara since April 2022, a diplomatic milestone that reshaped relations between the two countries.

The controversy originally emerged following the joint World Cup bid book presentation last summer, where Morocco’s complete territorial map was included with the agreement of all three federations – Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Sources within the Spanish Football Federation, cited by El Independiente, confirmed that the decision to accept the map was reached during joint committee meetings with representatives from all three countries.

Notably, the Spanish federation defended its position, saying that “it was a football map, not a political one,” and that “the Moroccan federation administers all sports-related matters in the territory.”

This pragmatic approach aligns with the current diplomatic reality and FIFA’s recognition of Morocco’s football jurisdiction over the region.

The FIFA report’s cartographic representation serves as another official recognition of Morocco’s territorial integrity, following similar acknowledgments from various international bodies and Spain’s own diplomatic stance.

This has evidently caused discomfort among certain Spanish media circles that continue to question established diplomatic positions.

The Spanish newspaper’s frustration extends beyond the mapping issue to Morocco’s growing influence in the tripartite bid.

This was particularly evident in their reporting of the FIFA technical evaluation of the proposed Grand Stade Hassan II in Casablanca, which received the same technical rating (4.3) as Spain’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu and Camp Nou stadiums.

El Independiente’s coverage attempted to downplay the Moroccan stadium’s significance by repeatedly emphasizing its unbuilt status, referring to it as “a stadium on paper” and “without being built.”

However, FIFA’s technical report presents a markedly different assessment, describing it as “an ambitious new construction project that plans to create the world’s largest capacity football stadium, with modern infrastructure and facilities.”

The FIFA report specifically highlights the stadium’s 115,000-seat capacity, which “far exceeds the minimum requirement of 80,000 seats for an opening match and/or final.”

The international football body’s evaluation noted that during their September inspection visit, the local team demonstrated “a thorough understanding of requirements” and presented “well-organized maps highlighting key areas.”

The Spanish media’s concern appears to stem from Morocco’s growing prominence in the joint bid. Sources from the Spanish federation, quoted by El Independiente, acknowledged “some discomfort with Rabat’s appetite for prominence” but attributed this to Morocco’s governmental structure, where decisions are made with royal oversight.

Just Wednesday, King Mohammed VI chaired a Ministerial Council focused on World Cup preparations, where Football Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa presented FIFA’s positive evaluation of Morocco’s bid. The King ordered the creation of an expanded committee to oversee the country’s ambitious infrastructure development plans.

Despite attempts to frame the Casablanca stadium project negatively, FIFA’s technical report confirms that “the available space in the stadium precinct for overlay and temporary infrastructure is expected to meet requirements.”

The report further validates that “key spaces such as the broadcast compound and parking areas meet requirements, and there appears to be sufficient space to reconfigure them if needed.”

The construction timeline for the Grand Stade Hassan II, set to be completed by late 2028, has been deemed feasible by FIFA’s evaluation team.

The stadium is planned as the centerpiece of a 100-hectare urban sports complex, designed to host both major international competitions and serve as the home ground for two of Morocco’s premier football clubs, Raja Club Athletic and Wydad Athletic Club.

El Independiente’s coverage reflects ongoing tensions in Spanish media regarding Morocco’s enhanced role in the World Cup bid, particularly following Morocco’s late inclusion in the candidacy, replacing Ukraine.

The newspaper’s reporting style and emphasis on certain aspects of the bid suggest an underlying unease with Morocco’s growing influence in what was originally a European-led initiative.

The final decision regarding which stadium will host the opening match and final of the 2030 World Cup is expected around 2028, according to sources quoted in the Spanish newspaper.

Until then, the technical evaluation’s equal rating of the three main stadiums leaves the competition wide open, despite apparent attempts by some Spanish media to suggest otherwise.

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The planning for the 2030 World Cup which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal received a tonic on Wednesday as King Mohammed VI chaired a Council of Ministers’ meeting at the Royal Palace in Rabat on the landmark event.

The World Cup 2030 marks the 100 years since the global football fiesta begun.

Expectedly, Fouzi Lekjaa, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of the Budget and Chairman of the 2030 World Cup Committee played a major role.

Fouzi Lekjaa

Apart from being an important personality in CAF and president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, he is a member of the FIFA Council.  

He delivered a presentation on the progress of Morocco’s preparations to host 2030 World Cup.

Lekjaa provided an overview of the various stages achieved in Morocco’s bid, tracing its progress since King Mohammed VI announced on March 14, 2023, in Kigali, the joint candidacy with Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 World Cup.

He also highlighted the Sovereign’s announcement to the Moroccan people on October 4, 2023, regarding FIFA’s Council’s unanimous decision to select the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid as the sole candidacy, which sparked an extraordinary mobilization to prepare a bid dossier fully aligned with FIFA’s specifications and requirements.

Lekjaa added that this tripartite bid submitted to FIFA on July 29, 2024 is the fruit of a strong and unprecedented mobilization by the working groups created for this purpose, in particular at the level of ministerial departments, public institutions, companies and local authorities concerned.

FIFA’s evaluation report on the bid, published on November 29, 2024, awarded an outstanding score, far exceeding the stipulated requirements.

This remarkable achievement sets the stage for the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to be officially awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup during the upcoming extraordinary FIFA Council Congress.

To rise to the challenge of an organization that lives up to the aspirations of His Majesty the King, the Minister announced that, in accordance with the High Royal Directives, an expanded committee will be established, which includes representatives from civil society, Moroccan expatriates, and African talents.

The mobilization will be further reinforced through coordinated efforts with all stakeholders to expedite the execution of strategic and structuring projects relating to hosting this global event, in particular:

– Upgrading stadiums;

– Expanding and renovating airports in the six host cities;

– Enhancing road infrastructure and densifying intra-urban networks;

– Launching an integrated territorial upgrading program that extends beyond the host cities of the World Cup games;

– Developing hotel and commercial infrastructure;

– Strengthening and modernizing medical services;

– Developing and modernizing telecommunications networks;

– Launching a comprehensive training program to strengthen the skills of young people.

The Grand Stade Hassan II, is set to be the world’s largest football stadium.

At the end of his address, the Minister said that the 2030 World Cup will not only be a sporting event, but also a unique opportunity to accelerate the growth momentum of the national economy over the next few years, create more job opportunities, boost the country’s tourist appeal and promote the universal values of peace, unity and sustainable development.

Then, the Council of Ministers approved six international conventions, of which four are bilateral and two are multilateral, aimed at strengthening cooperation and partnership ties between Morocco and several friendly and brotherly countries, as well as reinforcing its continental and international positioning.

The bilateral conventions focus on enhancing cooperation with several friendly European countries and address the mutual recognition of driving licenses, cooperation in criminal justice matters and the improvement of efficiency in combating cross-border crime, as well as military and technical cooperation.

The two multilateral conventions pertain to offences and certain other acts occurring on board aircraft, and the Charter on creating the Digital Cooperation Organization.

In accordance with the provisions of article 49 of the Constitution and on the proposal of the Head of Government and on the initiative of the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, His Majesty the King, may God glorify Him, has kindly appointed Zouhair Chorfi as Chairman of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority.

In this regard, His Majesty the King has given His High Instructions to consider a far-reaching reform of this body to transform it into a regulatory authority for the energy sector, by revising its respective law, broadening its scope to include, other than electricity, all the components of the energy sector.

These include natural gas, new energies such as hydrogen and its derivatives, as well as production, storage, transport and distribution, to keep pace with the maturity that the energy sector has reached in our country, and to be in line with international best practices in this field.