Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the People's Party of Spain and the main candidate for the premiership of the country, has stated that Spain should withdraw from co-hosting the 2030 World Cup if Morocco is chosen as the host for the final. These remarks were made on the sports television program "El Chiringuito" and Feijóo emphasized that Spain, as a global power in football, deserves to host the final.
Feijóo's position on hosting the final
Feijóo stated: "If Spain does not host the final, it should not participate in organizing the World Cup." He also emphasized that if Morocco is selected for the final, he would support the decision to withdraw from co-hosting. These statements come in light of the history of the hosting proposal, which was initially a joint bid between Spain and Portugal.
Read more: Lamar Jackson and Jake Ferguson injured in week eight of the NFL
Morocco's efforts to host the final
Moroccan officials are making significant efforts to host the World Cup final in their country. They are trying to attract FIFA's attention with large investments in sports infrastructure. Meanwhile, Rafael Lozano, president of Spanish football, expressed confidence last June that either Madrid or Barcelona would host the final, despite Morocco's heavy investment in football.
In recent months, tensions between Spain and Morocco have increased. Spanish political parties accused Morocco last summer of instigating a migration crisis in the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta. In late July, 80,000 people surged into the city.
Polls and reactions
A Sigma Dos poll for the newspaper "El Mundo" following the Ceuta crisis showed that 84.4% of Spaniards oppose Spain continuing to collaborate with Morocco in hosting the World Cup. The left-wing party Sumar, which is a coalition partner of the Socialists, has also stated that the World Cup "cannot be shared with a country that exploits desperate people for its own geopolitical interests." This party proposed a motion in Parliament that was unusually supported by the right-wing Vox party. However, this text never reached a vote as Parliament was dissolved before the early elections.
Read more: Bruce Springsteen supported Abdel Said · Spain's investigation into the train crash that left 69 dead
