Spain’s Sumar coalition urges FIFA review of Morocco’s 2030 World Cup role

Spain’s left-wing Sumar coalition has submitted a non-binding proposal to the Spanish Congress calling for Morocco’s participation in hosting the 2030 World Cup to be reviewed, citing what it described as “serious events that took place on the border of Ceuta”.

The proposal was signed by three MPs from Izquierda Unida, which forms part of the Sumar alliance, alongside a fourth female MP from the parliamentary group, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

Sumar is asking the Spanish government to send a formal message to FIFA, the Royal Spanish Football Federation and the Portuguese government. The request is for a “special review and assessment” of the current model for jointly staging the 2030 tournament.

Morocco, Spain and Portugal are due to co-host the World Cup, with matches also planned in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as part of the competition’s centenary celebrations. However, the proposal focuses on Morocco’s role in the European-led hosting arrangement and the responsibilities attached to staging the tournament.

The document argues that hosting the World Cup involves the use of public funds, government guarantees and extensive infrastructure investment. It also says the event affects the international image of the countries involved.

For that reason, Sumar says every country participating in the organisation of the tournament should be required to show “effective and continuous respect for human rights, international law and the democratic principles that must govern the work of public authorities”.

The coalition has also called on the Spanish government to ask the Royal Spanish Football Federation to activate FIFA’s institutional mechanisms for examining compliance with FIFA’s statutes and its human rights policy.

A separate, independent and publicly available assessment would also be required under the proposal. It would examine updated “human rights risks in the host countries”, with the findings presented to the Spanish Parliament within six months.

The motion further calls for an assessment of “the impact of the events that took place on the border of Ceuta on the human rights obligations linked to the tournament”.

It proposes that additional measures should be considered if it is established that any host country has committed “serious” breaches of international obligations or human rights responsibilities.

The initiative from Sumar follows a similar position taken by Portugal’s Livre party. Livre sent a letter to the Portuguese government and the Portuguese Football Federation calling for Morocco’s involvement in jointly hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal to be reconsidered.

The Spanish proposal is non-binding, meaning it does not itself compel the government or football authorities to change the hosting arrangements. Instead, it seeks an official examination of the human rights implications of Morocco’s role and asks for the relevant national and international football bodies to review the matter.