Having failed to win the rights to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Morocco is now considering tabling another bid, this time jointly with Spain and Portugal.
The North African country’s bid to host the 2026 showdown lost to a combined bid from the US, Canada and Mexico.
Morocco’s bid lost by 65 to 134 votes, as reports suggested the joint bid won voters over by promising record crowds and record revenues, as well as prospects of a record $11 billion in profit for FIFA.
Now, Morocco seems to be ready to collaborate with other nations to make their dream of hosting football’s biggest event come alive.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was in Rabat on Monday, where he met with Prime Minister Saadedin Al Othmani and King Mohamed to discuss the possibility of the joint bid.
“I made a proposal to the government (of Morocco) to organise a joint bid between Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup,” Reuters quotes Sanchez to have said.
“We are launching a joint message, which is that this will be a bid between two continents. The King of Morocco is receptive, and we’re going to work on it with Portugal. We’re very excited about it.”
Spain has hosted the World Cup once before, in 1982, but Portugal and Morocco have never hosted the competition.
If the bid is made and becomes a success, Morocco will become only the second African state to host the FIFA World Cup after South Africa in 2010.
