Portuguese lawmakers urge Spain and Portugal to host 2030 World Cup without Morocco

A Portuguese political party has called for Morocco to be excluded from hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup following the recent migration crisis in Ceuta.

Left-wing party Livre said Portugal and Spain should stage the tournament without Morocco, arguing that Rabat’s involvement in the competition has become “unsustainable” in light of recent events.

In an open letter addressed to Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença, the party accused Morocco of exploiting vulnerable migrants during the mass movement of people towards the Spanish-controlled enclave.

Party demands review of hosting arrangement

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, but Livre has urged both governments, as well as the European Union and UEFA, to reconsider the current arrangement.

The party’s five lawmakers alleged that Morocco had played an active role in the migration crisis and accused the country of violating international law and human rights.

Livre claimed the situation in Ceuta had resulted in dozens of deaths, citing earlier figures of 75 fatalities and later reports from local authorities that placed the death toll at 88.

The crisis saw tens of thousands of migrants attempt to reach the Spanish-controlled territory in North Africa.

Morocco blames misinformation

Moroccan authorities have rejected accusations that they encouraged the movement of migrants.

Officials said misinformation circulating online, combined with the misinterpretation of a Spanish court ruling, created false expectations that migrants arriving in Ceuta by sea would not be returned.

Morocco also said it had deployed security forces to prevent irregular migration and contain the situation.

Livre, however, argued that Portugal should not support what it described as the normalization of border violence, human rights abuses and the political exploitation of vulnerable people.

“The last straw”

Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP, Livre spokesperson Jorge Pinto described the events in Ceuta as “the last straw”.

He claimed the migration crisis formed part of a wider pattern in which migrants were allegedly used as a political tool, drawing comparisons with policies associated with the governments of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Pinto also criticised FIFA president Gianni Infantino and questioned the transparency of the process used to select World Cup host nations.

Morocco presses ahead with preparations

Livre has previously voiced concerns over Morocco’s role in hosting the tournament, having criticised the country’s policies regarding Western Sahara during the bidding process.

Portugal and Spain had initially planned to submit a joint bid with Ukraine before Morocco joined the project after the war made it impossible for Ukraine to host matches.

Despite the criticism, Morocco continues its preparations for the tournament and is currently building the Grand Stade Hassan II near Casablanca.

The proposed 115,000-capacity arena is expected to become one of the largest football stadiums in the world and could strengthen Morocco’s ambitions to host the 2030 World Cup final.