Spain’s Government and Opposition Unite to Seek Review of Morocco’s Joint World Cup Hosting
By abdullah
Published: 07 Aug 2026
2 min read
Spain’s Government and Opposition Unite to Seek Review of Morocco’s Joint World Cup Hosting
MADRID: Spain’s left-wing governing party Sumar and the far-right opposition party Vox have called for a review of the country’s plans to jointly host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Morocco.
According to Business Insider, the demand comes after thousands of migrants recently entered Ceuta, a Spanish-administered territory bordering Morocco, adding further strain to relations between Madrid and Rabat.
Sumar and Vox have submitted separate non-binding motions raising concerns over Morocco’s role as a co-host of the 2030 World Cup. Sumar argues that Morocco should not benefit from the international prestige and economic gains associated with hosting the tournament while questions remain over its handling of the migration crisis.
Vox, meanwhile, has rejected the description of Morocco as a reliable partner for Spain, arguing that the events in Ceuta on July 30 and 31 have seriously damaged trust and cooperation between the two countries.
Spain’s Podemos party and Portugal’s environmentalist Livre party have also called for Morocco to be removed from the hosting arrangement, proposing that the 2030 World Cup be held in Spain and Portugal instead.
However, the Spanish government has refrained from directly blaming Morocco for the arrival of migrants in Ceuta. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares described the incident as exceptional and said Morocco had cooperated in bringing the situation under control and returning most of the migrants within 48 hours.
Morocco has also denied deliberately easing border controls. Moroccan authorities attributed the crisis to misinformation circulating on social media and a Spanish court restriction that limited the immediate return of migrants intercepted at sea.
FIFA awarded the 2030 World Cup jointly to Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Morocco is undertaking major stadium, transport and infrastructure projects for the tournament, while FIFA has so far given no indication that the joint hosting arrangement will be changed.
