Enrique Santiago urges Spain to halt Morocco’s role in 2030 World Cup over Ceuta tensions

A Spanish politician has launched a formal parliamentary move seeking to suspend Morocco’s involvement in hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.

Enrique Santiago, spokesman for the United Left (IU) in the Spanish parliament, said the tournament did not have sufficient guarantees to be held in Morocco. He called for all activities and preparations currently under way in the country to be stopped.

Santiago was speaking about a World Cup organised by “Trump’s servant”, a reference he used for FIFA president Gianni Infantino. His comments were made during an interview with Spanish television channel TVE.

The United Left representative said the World Cup should be regarded as “a space for friendship” and a meeting point for peoples. However, he argued that following events in the city of Ceuta, Spain could not continue with the same level of co-operation with Morocco.

Santiago also made serious accusations against Morocco during the interview, although the source of his comments did not provide further details about those allegations.

He is calling for Spain to freeze its preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which it is due to organise jointly with Morocco and Portugal, “until respect for human rights and the preservation of Spanish sovereignty are guaranteed”.

The politician said the United Left parliamentary group would submit a non-binding proposal to open a debate on the issue in parliament. He added that the group would seek to have the motion approved through agreement and full consensus among members of the chamber.

The proposal would not itself remove Morocco from the tournament’s hosting arrangements, but it would formally bring the issue before Spain’s parliament and allow lawmakers to discuss whether preparations involving the country should continue.

The 2030 World Cup is planned as a joint event involving Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Santiago’s intervention therefore focuses on the Moroccan element of the hosting plans while also challenging the wider co-ordination between the three countries.

His comments link the call for a suspension directly to the situation involving Ceuta, a Spanish city on the North African coast, and to concerns he says must be addressed before the tournament can proceed in Morocco.

The United Left’s intended parliamentary motion would be non-binding, meaning it is designed to stimulate discussion rather than impose an immediate change to the World Cup arrangements. The group nevertheless intends to seek full backing for the proposal from members of parliament.

Santiago’s position amounts to a call for Spain to pause its part in the joint organisation of the tournament until the conditions he identified are met. His demands include guarantees concerning human rights and Spanish sovereignty, as well as a halt to the preparations already taking place in Morocco.