Morocco Joins Spain, Portugal in Joint Bid To Host 2030 World Cup

Morocco has joined Spain and Portugal in a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, according to a statement signed by King Mohammed VI and read at a meeting of the Confederation of African Football on Tuesday. The move raises further doubts over Ukraine’s participation in the bid. The joint bid brings together Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, and the African, Arab, and Euro-Mediterranean worlds, and is described as “unprecedented in football history.” Morocco had committed to taking part in the 2030 bid more than four years ago but had never been officially included until now. Last October, Spain, and Portugal were joined in their longstanding European candidacy by Ukraine, but it is not expected to remain in the bid.

The 2030 World Cup hosts will be picked in September 2024, and the co-hosting bids from South America and Europe are expected to be the favorites. The inaugural 1930 World Cup host, Uruguay, is part of a centenary bid with Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay. The World Cup has had joint hosts before, with Japan and South Korea sharing the competition in 2002. In 2026, the tournament will be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with an expansion from 32 teams to 48, and an increase in matches from 64 in Qatar last year to 104.