Spain demands Morocco be excluded from 2030 World Cup

A new controversy has arisen in Spain surrounding the 2030 World Cup. Several members of parliament from Spain's ruling left-wing coalition have demanded that Morocco, one of the co-hosts, be excluded from hosting the tournament.

The 24th edition, which will be held to mark the centenary of the World Cup, is being hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. In addition, one match each will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of the opening ceremony of the World Cup. Uruguay and Argentina have been given this opportunity to commemorate the first World Cup in 1930. And since CONMEBOL is headquartered in Paraguay, the country has also been given the responsibility of hosting a match.

However, deputies from three political parties in the ruling coalition recently questioned Morocco's suitability to host the tournament in the Spanish parliament. They have called on the Spanish government to formally request FIFA to remove Morocco from the list of co-hosts. Portugal's ruling Liberal Party has also taken a similar stance. The party has also sent a letter to the Portuguese government and the country's football federation on the matter.

The main reason behind this claim is the recent large-scale influx of migrants from Morocco at the border of Ceuta, Spain's North African territory. Around a ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court, human traffickers spread false information that they would be able to live there only if they could reach Spain. Believing that rumor, about 60 to 80 thousand Moroccan citizens tried to cross the Ceuta border by sea, risking their lives, in just 24 hours.

Although most of the migrants later returned to Morocco, more than a hundred people were reported to have lost their lives in the incident. The leaders of Spain's left-wing coalition claim that the fragile socio-economic, security and human rights situation of a country means that so many people risk their lives to leave the country, which is one of the reasons why Morocco's ability to host the World Cup is questioned.