6/17/2023–|Last updated: 6/17/202312:12 AM (Mecca time)
The Moroccan Royal Court said, in a statement on Friday, that King Mohammed VI appointed Fawzi Lakjaa as head of the committee charged with nominating Morocco to organize the 2030 FIFA World Cup, as part of a joint file that includes Spain and Portugal.
Lakjaa is the president of the Moroccan Football Federation and the delegated minister in charge of the budget.
On March 14, the Moroccan monarch announced the decision to nominate Morocco, along with the two neighboring countries, in the hope that it would become the second Arab country to host the finals after Qatar last year, and the second in Africa after South Africa 2010.
The statement added that this joint nomination “will bear the title of linking Africa and Europe, between the north and south of the Mediterranean, and between the African continent, the Arab world, and the Euro-Mediterranean space.”
Ukraine initially joined Spain and Portugal as a potential partner in its bid for the 2030 edition, but with no end in sight to the war with Russia, Morocco came forward to participate with the two European countries in a joint bid.
Morocco previously applied to host the 2010 World Cup, but won 10 votes and lost the opportunity to South Africa.
The Moroccan national team stunned the world in the Qatar 2022 finals when it became the first African team to reach the semi-finals, where it lost to France, and eventually finished fourth behind Croatia.
Morocco hosted the Club World Cup this year.
There is another confirmed joint bid to host the 2030 finals from South American countries, namely Argentina, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Uruguay hosting the first finals in 1930.
The United States, Mexico and Canada will host the 2026 World Cup, with the participation of 48 teams.
