The Portuguese, Spanish and Moroccan football federations signed the agreement on Wednesday that formalizes the three countries’ bid to host the 2030 World Cup, the organizations announced on Thursday.
This agreement “It is a commitment by the three football federations to respect the rules and framework applicable to the candidacy process”which is also a guidance document that “provides guidance on key technical aspects of the application, such as promotion and evaluation criteria,” the statement said.
Mundial2030, which marks the 100th anniversary of the first edition of the championship, is seen by the three federations as an opportunity to “highlight their unique cultures to promote greater collaboration between Europe, Africa and the rest of the world, while ensuring the event is sustainable and welcoming to fans of all ages and backgrounds “.
The president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Gomes, said this agreement represents “a milestone” for the three federations and for football in the three countries. He noted that after this signing, the bodies will start working and assured that the candidacy and the tournament plan “will impress football fans around the world”.
The leader of the Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, emphasized the growth of football in his country thanks to “the leadership of [rei] Mohammed VI” and said that this will be the first men’s World Cup to be held between continents, but also the first to be hosted in Morocco and Portugal, while Spain already hosted the Football World Cup in 1982.
The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Pedro Rocha, thanked FIFA for the trust shown and stressed that the three federations are “aware of the enormous responsibility that comes with organizing a FIFA World Cup”.
On October 4, the FIFA Council unanimously approved the candidacy of Portugal, Spain and Morocco, with the opening match played in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the first edition of the World Cup was held. Paraguay and Argentina will also host a match.
The three federations presented their candidacies on October 28 in Rabat, Morocco, and FIFA received a declaration of interest in organizing the competition on the 31st of the same month.
Source: DN
