Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales recently shared that Morocco played a decisive role in securing the successful bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Rubiales, who led the Spanish federation during the development of the joint bid, repeatedly accentuated Morocco’s strategic importance. According to him, bringing Morocco into the project transformed what might have been a largely European candidacy into a powerful transcontinental alliance capable of securing broader support across international football bodies.
“Without Morocco, Saudi Arabia would have easily won the bid to host the 2030 World Cup. Morocco enjoys significant influence in continental and international football bodies,” he said, according to a statement that has been widely shared online.
Luis Rubiales , l’ancien président de la fédération espagnole de football :
” l’apport du Maroc était important et déterminant dans le dossier pour l’organisation de la coupe du monde 2030 ” https://t.co/TLNZfD1Df7 pic.twitter.com/ArLzqsclK7
— Morocco warrior (@MoroccoWa39397) March 15, 2026
Morocco’s decisive role in the joint bid
The joint bid uniting Morocco, Spain, and Portugal eventually secured the hosting rights for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The project is described as a unique bridge between Europe and Africa, and puts a spotlight on Morocco’s growing influence in global football.
Much of the diplomatic momentum behind the Moroccan side of the project has been associated with the President of Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMF), Fouzi Lekjaa. His relationships within both the Confederation of African Football and FIFA helped rally African federations behind the bid, creating a strong voting bloc that reinforced the Iberian-Moroccan alliance.
Saudi Arabia later shifted its focus toward hosting the 2034 World Cup, leaving the path clear for the Morocco-Spain-Portugal candidacy.
Rubiales’s comments are still occasionally referenced even though he is no longer active in football governance. He is currently banned from football until October 2026 following a sexual assault conviction related to the non-consensual kiss of Jenni Hermoso.
In June 2025, Spanish courts rejected his appeal and confirmed his conviction for sexual assault related to the non-consensual kiss of Hermoso during the medal ceremony of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. He was fined €10,800 and was also prohibited from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters or contacting her for one year.
Rubiales is also currently serving a three-year suspension from all football-related activities imposed by FIFA. His final appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was rejected in February 2025, with the tribunal describing the sanction as “reasonable and proportionate.”
Attention has now turned to the distribution of matches among the host nations ahead of the 2030 World Cup. Morocco is reportedly pushing for the final to be held at the future Grand Stade Hassan II, a new stadium expected to become the largest football venue in the world