World Cup
FIFA Validates Morocco’s Territorial Map in World Cup 2030 Bid
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.
Three grand venues are in contention to host the draw for the 2030 World Cup after the 2026 World Cup would have taken place.
The contending venues are the Grand Theater in Rabat Morocco, WiZink Center in Madrid Spain and the MEO Arena in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
This came out from FIFA’s report that indicates that each of the three joint hosts put forward a unique venue.
Morocco nominated the Grand Theater in Rabat. FIFA described the venue as meeting all the norms with a total area of 25,000 square metres and an auditorium which can seat 1,800 guests.
Spain nominated Madrid’s WiZink Center. This venue boasts a vast 5,800 square meters of space and can host over 16,000 people.
Portugal, meanwhile, proposed the MEO Arena in Lisbon. It is known as one of Europe’s largest multipurpose arenas and has previously hosted the Euro 2004 draw. The MEO Arena offers 5,200 square meters of space and seating for 20,000.
Meanwhile, Morocco is set to switch the venue of this year’s CAF Awards from Marrakech to Rabat in a bid to showcase the Grand Theater.
It is believed that the change from Marrakech to Rabat is influenced by the French Football Federation.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, saw Rabat’s new theatre — with its cutting-edge facilities and striking design — on his recent visit to Morocco.
This change is a smart move as the CAF Awards will be putting on full display one of Morocco’s world-class venues, while the country hopes to host more major sports events down the line.
Lalla Hasnaa and Brigitte Macron inaugurated the Grand Theater that King Mohammed VI set in motion in 2006 with a whooping budget of MAD 1.677 billion ($170 million).
The venue is considered a cultural powerhouse. It has a 7,000-seat amphitheatre, and a stunning 7.1-hectare layout.
FIFA has unveiled its final evaluation report on Morocco’s joint bid with Spain and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, praising the proposal for exceeding the minimum requirements for hosting the prestigious tournament.
In a statement released with the report, FIFA confirmed that the bid, as part of a joint venture between the three nations, meets and surpasses the necessary criteria for the 2030 World Cup, following a thorough review of the submitted candidacy files and the points system in place. The report reflects FIFA’s confidence in the bid’s potential, noting the countries’ commitment and the ambitious scope of their plans.
One of the key strengths highlighted in the report is the impressive number of stadiums proposed for the tournament. The joint bid includes a total of 20 stadiums—six in Morocco, three in Portugal, and 11 in Spain—well above the 14-stadium minimum required by FIFA. This wide range of venues offers significant flexibility in organizing matches across a variety of unique locations, each bringing its own distinct atmosphere to the event.
FIFA also drew attention to Morocco’s ambitious plans to build the Hassan II Stadium in Casablanca, which is set to become the largest football stadium in the world. The project is already underway, with plans to deliver a state-of-the-art venue capable of hosting major international events beyond the World Cup.
In addition to this monumental project, the report highlighted that five of the six Moroccan stadiums proposed for the World Cup will also host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
These venues are all currently under construction or undergoing renovation, with the report stating that they meet most, if not all, of FIFA’s stringent requirements.
The FIFA evaluation further emphasized the commitment of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal to ensuring the success of the tournament, with all proposed stadiums being carefully planned to offer high-quality experiences for both players and spectators.
The bid is now one step closer to securing the 2030 World Cup, with FIFA continuing to support the nations’ joint vision for a truly memorable and historic tournament.
-Morocco World News
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