Morocco, the first African nation to reach the men’s World Cup semi-finals last year, wants to bid alongside Spain and Portugal for the 2030 edition, officials have said.
Last October, Spain and Portugal announced their joint bid and speculated on adding Ukraine as a third country.
But the war is still raging there in Ukraine and teaming up with Morocco may make more sense, although the Spanish football federation has yet to confirm Morocco is joining the bid.
The three countries will talk ahead of Thursday’s FIFA Congress in Rwanda.
“This bid, which is unique in the history of football, is one of clear links: between Africa and Europe, between the north and the south of the Mediterranean and between the African and Arab worlds and the European Mediterranean,” Morocco’s King Mohammed VI said in a statement.
Morocco had bid for the 2026 World Cup but the US, Canada and Mexico won the hosting rights.
The 2026 tournament will be increased to 48 teams from 32 and will have a record 104 games.
The increase in matches makes a double, triple or even four-nation hosting more likely.
Also, it helps Morocco’s cause to become only the second African and second Arab nation to hold a World Cup.
It just hosted the Club World Cup.
FIFA will decide on the 2030 hosts next year.
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay are bidding together while Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia — in various constellations — have shown interest.(dpa/NAN)
